广元市道路贯穿辐射剂量水平研究

本文在广元市环境天然放射性水平调查的基础　上，通过对全市范围道路贯穿辐射剂量水平进行分析和研究，得出：（１）道路陆地γ辐射剂　量率为（６．４３±１．２１）×１０－８Ｇｙｈ－１；（２）道路贯穿辐射剂量率为（９．６６±１．３　５）×１０－８Ｇｙｈ－１；（３）道路γ辐射剂量水平与道路贯穿辐射剂量水平的地理分布　相似。即：北部中山区最高，东南低山区和东部次之，中部河谷平坝区和西南低山区最低。　（４）依不同路面材料，其道路陆地γ辐射剂量率的排列顺序为：泥土路＞碎石路＞砖路＞柏　油路＞水泥路。     

成都市大气降尘放射性水平分析

本文介绍了成都市大气降尘放射性水平的监测结果。发现降尘中除有少量天然核素外,还尚存有以往大气层核试验释放的裂变核素９０Ｓｒ和１３７Ｃｓ。平均年沉降量９０Ｓｒ为１０２Ｂｑ·ｍ－２·Ｙ－１,１３７Ｃｓ为１３１Ｂｑ·ｍ－２·Ｙ－１。由大气９０Ｓｒ和１３７Ｃｓ沉降所致公众辐射剂量为１６８μＳｒ·ａ－１,是限值的２‰。所以,降尘中放射性造成的辐射影响是很小的。     

成都市在气降尘放射性水平分析

本文介绍了成都市大气尘放射性水平的监测结果。发现除尘中除少量天然核素外，还尚存在以往大气层柱试验释放的裂变核素＾９０Ｓｒ和＾１３７Ｃｓ。     

成都市土壤中天然放射性核素含量调查研究

本文报告1986至1987年成都市土壤中天然放射性核素含量的调查方法和结果。全市共采集19个土壤样品,样品采集与分析按国家环保局《环境天然放射性水平调查规定》进行。结果表明,成都市土壤中放射性核素含量各测点平均值与面积加权平均值相吻合,其中总β为786.5Bq/Kg;1 m高处空气中的γ吸收剂量率为5.78×10-8Gy/h;238U,29.5Bq/Kg;232Th,45.7Bq/Kg;226Ra,36.0 Bq/Kg;40K,525.2Bq/Kg;137Cs,14.2Bq/Kg。成都市土壤中天然放射性核素含量比四川省和全国略低,但总体上处于同一水平。     

四川省城市放射性废物库辐射环境质量的监测与调查分析

四川省城市放射性废物库是四川省唯一的放射性废物(源)国家二级暂存库,是保证四川省辐射环境安全的重要设施。通过对四川省城市放射性废物库的辐射环境监测方法的介绍,从环境γ辐射剂量率、水和大气总α、总β放射性活度浓度水平、土壤中敏感核素含量等方面,分析了2011～2018年的辐射环境年度监测报告数据。结果表明四川省城市放射性废物库运行良好,辐射环境安全,不存在放射性污染的情况。     

新疆某铁矿冶炼企业天然放射性水平调查与评价

为了解新疆某铁矿冶炼企业的铁矿石、冶炼初级产品及冶炼尾矿中的放射性水平状况,对尾矿渣的资源化利用所致辐射影响进行分析。通过对该企业进行现场监测与取样,并对采集样本进行天然放射性核素含量分析,评估冶炼尾矿资源化利用的可行性。结果表明:铁矿冶炼企业污染源项表面1 m处的γ辐射剂量率的测量值范围处于新疆天然贯穿辐射所致空气吸收剂量率(室外)的波动范围之内。样品中放射性核素含量低于国家标准中天然放射性核素免管限值。在没有掺杂的情况下,尾矿废物进行资源化利用时,部分尾矿砂可以作为A类装饰装修材料,其生产、销售及使用不加限制,一小部分尾矿砂只能作为B类装饰装修材料及建筑的外饰面使用。在资源化利用过程中,当地生态环境部门应加强对企业的辐射环境安全监管工作。     

无源累积氡法监测成都,自贡环境空气中的氡

本文报道固体核径迹法测定成都、自贡市的环境氡水平。１９９１年在成都市布放探测器４个月，３４个室内测点平均氡浓度３６．６±１７．４Ｂｑ·Ｍ￣－３；２个室外点平均１６．２±４．２ＢｑＭ￣－３。１９９２年在自贡市６个区域布放６７个探测器，６４个测点平均氡浓度４９．２±２４．５Ｂｑ·Ｍ￣－３。有３个测点，探测器上出现局部高密集氡径迹，重要探索，未统计入内。若以上述室内氡平均值和环境氡平均植分别代表两市的全年氡平均水平，并以室内公众成员所受平均氡浓度与年有效剂量关系式计算。成都、自贡市公众成员各自受氡年有效剂量当量为１．１０ｍＳｖ和１．４８ｍＳｖ．     

AAS与ICP—AES间接测定天然水中硫酸盐

本文以ＳＯ４＾２－与过量Ｂａ＾２＋形成ＢａＳＯ４沉淀反应为基础，较详细地讨论了反应条件，从而拟定了用ＡＡＳ和ＩＣＰ－ＡＥＳ间接测定天然水中ＳＯ４＾２－的方法、确定了方法的精密度，ＡＡＳ法的ＲＳＤ％为１．５，ＩＣＰ－ＡＥＳ法为３．２， 两种方法对比分析的结果接近，误差为１．０％（相对）。用于天然水中ＳＯ４＾２－的测定，获得满意的结果。     

新疆大学校园辐射环境水平初步调查

为了了解新疆大学本部校园内辐射环境水平状况,对校园环境γ辐射剂量率、氡浓度水平、土壤中核素含量及红湖水样等采用国家规定的技术规范和方法进行现场测量、采样与实验室分析工作。结果表明,新疆大学本部校园内辐射环境水平处于乌鲁木齐市本底值范围之内,未见放射性异常。     

德阳市道路环境γ辐射剂量水平

本文在德阳市环境天然放射性水平调查基础上,对市辖5953.75平方公里范围内的五种不同材料路面,47个测点的道路γ辐射剂量率进行了分析研究,其结果是:(1)陆地γ辐射剂量率为5.54×10~(-8)Gyh~(-1);(2)贯空辐射剂量率为8.71×10~(-8)Gyh~(-1);(3)不同材料路面γ辐射剂量率的大小顺序是:泥土>碎石>水泥>柏油>石块路面。     

Conversion of temperate forests into heaths: Role of ecosystem disturbance and ericaceous plants

Fire and logging in nutrient-poor temperate forests with certain ericaceous understory plants may convert the forests into heaths. The process of disturbance-induced heath formation is documented by using examples ofCalluna in western Europe,Kalmia in Newfoundland, andGaultheria (salal) in coastal British Columbia. In a cool, temperate climate, rapid vegetative growth ofCalluna, Kalmia, and salal following disturbance results in increasing organic accumulation (paludification), nutrient sequestration, soil acidification, and allelochemicals. These are thought to be the main reasons to conifer regeneration failure in disturbed habitats. If continuation in forest is a land-use objective, then temperate forests with an ericaceous understory should not be logged unless effective silvicultural methods are devised to control the ericaceous plants and restore forest regeneration. Preharvest vegetation control may be considered as an option. Failure to control the understory plants may lead to a long-term vegetation shift, from forest to heathland, particularly in nutrient-poor sites. Successful methods of controllingKalmia andGaultheria, however, have yet to be developed. While theKalmia- andGaultheria- dominated heathlands are undesirable in Canada and the Pacific Northwest, a wide range ofCalluna heathlands of western Europe are being conserved as natural and seminatural vegetation.     

Urban ecological systems: scientific foundations and a decade of progress

Urban ecological studies, including focus on cities, suburbs, and exurbs, while having deep roots in the early to mid 20th century, have burgeoned in the last several decades. We use the state factor approach to highlight the role of important aspects of climate, substrate, organisms, relief, and time in differentiating urban from non-urban areas, and for determining heterogeneity within spatially extensive metropolitan areas. In addition to reviewing key findings relevant to each state factor, we note the emergence of tentative "urban syndromes" concerning soils, streams, wildlife and plants, and homogenization of certain ecosystem functions, such as soil organic carbon dynamics. We note the utility of the ecosystem approach, the human ecosystem framework, and watersheds as integrative tools to tie information about multiple state factors together. The organismal component of urban complexes includes the social organization of the human population, and we review key modes by which human populations within urban areas are differentiated, and how such differentiation affects environmentally relevant actions. Emerging syntheses in land change science and ecological urban design are also summarized. The multifaceted frameworks and the growing urban knowledge base do however identify some pressing research needs.     

Neighbourhood characteristics and urban gardens in the Toledo metropolitan area: staffing and voluntarism,food production,infrastructure, and sustainability practices

Urban gardens are important sources of sustenance for communities with limited access to food. Hence, this study focuses on food production in gardens in the Toledo metropolitan area in Northwest Ohio. We administered surveys to 150 garden managers from November 2014 to February 2015 in our attempt to better understand how neighbourhood racial composition and poverty levels are related to staffing and voluntarism, food production and distribution, the development of infrastructure, and the adoption of sustainability practices in urban gardens. The results from 30 gardens are presented in this paper. We used Geographic Information Systems to map the gardens and overlay the map with 2010 census data so that we could conduct demographic analyses of the neighbourhoods in which the gardens were located. Though the gardens were small – two acres or less – up to 46 varieties of food were grown in a single garden. Gardens also operated on small budgets. Food from the gardens was gifted or shared with friends, family, and neighbourhood residents. Gardens in predominantly minority neighbourhoods tended to have fewer institutional partners, less garden infrastructure, and had adopted fewer sustainable practices than gardens in predominantly White neighbourhoods. Nonetheless, residents of predominantly minority and high-poverty neighbourhoods participated in garden activities and influenced garden operations. Volunteering and staffing were racialised and gendered.     

Using Paleo Reconstructions to Improve Streamflow Forecast Lead Time in the Western United States

In water stressed regions, water managers are exploring new horizons that would help in long‐range streamflow forecasts. Oceanic‐atmospheric oscillations have been shown to influence streamflow variability. In this study, long‐lead time streamflow forecasts are made using a multiclass kernel‐based data‐driven support vector machine (SVM) model. The extended streamflow records based on tree ring reconstructions were used to provide a longer time series data. Reconstructed data were used from 1658 to 1952 and the instrumental record was used from 1953 to 2007. Reconstructions for oceanic‐atmospheric oscillations included the El Niño‐Southern Oscillation, Pacific Decadal Oscillation, Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, and North Atlantic Oscillation. Streamflow forecasts using all four oscillations were made with one‐year to five‐year lead times for 21 gages in the western United States. This is the first study that uses both instrumental and reconstructed data of oscillations in SVM model to improve streamflow forecast lead time. SVM model was able to provide “satisfactory” to “very good” forecasts with one‐ to five‐year lead time for the selected gages. The use of all the oscillation indices helped in achieving better predictability compared to using individual oscillations. The SVM modeling results are better when compared with multiple linear regression model forecasts. The findings are statistical in nature and are expected to be useful for long‐term water resources planning and management.     

Predicting deer-vehicle collisions in an urban area

Collisions with deer and other large animals are increasing, and the resulting economic costs and risks to public safety have made mitigation measures a priority for both city and wildlife managers. We created landscape models to describe and predict deer-vehicle collision (DVCs) within the City of Edmonton, Alberta. Models based on roadside characteristics revealed that DVCs occurred frequently where roadside vegetation was both denser and more diverse, and that DVCs were more likely to occur when the groomed width of roadside right-of-ways was smaller. No DVCs occurred where the width of the vegetation-free or manicured roadside buffer was greater than 40 m. Landscape-based models showed that DVCs were more likely in more heterogeneous landscapes where road densities were lower and speed limits were higher, and where non-forested vegetation such as farmland was in closer proximity to larger tracts of forest. These models can help wildlife and transportation managers to identify locations of high collision frequency for mitigation. Modifying certain landscape and roadside habitats can be an effective way to reduce deer-vehicle collisions.     

AN APPLICATION RUNOFF MODEL STRATEGY FOR UNGAGED WATERSHEDS1

ABSTRACT: Mathematical models for predicting watershed surface flow responses are available, most of which are elaborate nonlinear numerical surface and channel flow models linked with infiltration models. Such models may be used to make predictions for ungaged areas, assuming an acceptable fitting of the model to the topography and roughness of the real system. For some application purposes, these models are impractical because of their complexity and expensive computer solutions. A procedure is developed that uses a complex model of an ungaged area to derive a simpler parametric nonlinear system model for repetitious simulation with input sequences. The predicted flow outputs are obtained with the simpler model at significant savings of money and time. The procedures for constructing a complex kinematic model of a 40 acre (161,880 m²) reference watershed and deriving the simpler system model are outlined. The results of predictions from both models are compared with a selected set of measured events, all having essentially the same initial conditions. Peak discharges ranged from 3 to 118 ft³/sec (0.085 to 3.34 m³/sec), which includes the largest event of record. The inherent limitations of lumped systems models are demonstrated, including the bias caused by their inability to model infiltration losses after rainfall ceases. Computer costs and times for the models were compared. The derived simple model has a cost advantage when repeated use of a model is required. Such an applications hydrologic model has an engineering tradeoff of reduced accuracy, and lumping bias, but is more economical for certain design purposes.     

MANGANESE CYCLE IN IMPOUNDMENT WATER

Manganese entering impounded water will undergo a cyclic transformation. Oxidation precipitates manganese from top waters. At the bottom of the lake, biological activity will render manganese soluble by both intracellular as well as extracellular activity. The study was made to demonstrate that biological reduction and transformation, organometallic complexation, together with the presence of carbon dioxide and the lowering of pH all have some effect on the solubility of manganese. Dissolved manganese may be brought back to top waters during the lake overturn and therefore deteriorates the water quality.     

Surface applied water treatment residuals affect bioavailable phosphorus losses in Florida sands

Water treatment residuals (WTR) can reduce runoff P loss and surface co-application of P-sources and WTR is a practical way of land applying the residuals. In a rainfall simulation study, we evaluated the effects of surface co-applied P-sources and an Al-WTR on runoff and leacheate bioavailable P (BAP) losses from a Florida sand. Four P-sources, namely poultry manure, Boca Raton biosolids (high water-soluble P), Pompano biosolids (moderate water-soluble P), and triple super phosphate (TSP) were surface applied at 56 and 224kgPha(-1) (by weight) to represent low and high soil P loads typical of P- and N-based amendments rates. The treatments further received surface applied WTR at 0 or 10gWTRkg(-1) soil. BAP loss masses were greater in leachate (16.4-536mg) than in runoff (0.91-46mg), but were reduced in runoff and leachate by surface applied WTR. Masses of total BAP lost in the presence of surface applied WTR were less than approximately 75% of BAP losses in the absence of WTR. Total BAP losses from each of the organic sources applied at N-based rates were not greater than P loss from TSP applied at a P-based rate. The BAP loss at the N-based rate of moderate water-soluble P-source (Pompano biosolids) was not greater than BAP losses at the P-based rates of other organic sources tested. The hazards of excess P from applying organic P-sources at N-based rates are not greater than observed at P-based rates of mineral fertilizer. Results suggest that management of the environmental P hazards associated with N-based rates of organic materials in Florida sands is possible by either applying P-sources with WTR or using a moderate water-soluble P-source.     

Sources and Transport of Phosphorus to Rivers in California and Adjacent States,U.S., as Determined by SPARROW Modeling

The SPARROW (SPAtially Referenced Regression on Watershed attributes) model was used to simulate annual phosphorus loads and concentrations in unmonitored stream reaches in California, U.S., and portions of Nevada and Oregon. The model was calibrated using de‐trended streamflow and phosphorus concentration data at 80 locations. The model explained 91% of the variability in loads and 51% of the variability in yields for a base year of 2002. Point sources, geological background, and cultivated land were significant sources. Variables used to explain delivery of phosphorus from land to water were precipitation and soil clay content. Aquatic loss of phosphorus was significant in streams of all sizes, with the greatest decay predicted in small‐ and intermediate‐sized streams. Geological sources, including volcanic rocks and shales, were the principal control on concentrations and loads in many regions. Some localized formations such as the Monterey shale of southern California are important sources of phosphorus and may contribute to elevated stream concentrations. Many of the larger point source facilities were located in downstream areas, near the ocean, and do not affect inland streams except for a few locations. Large areas of cultivated land result in phosphorus load increases, but do not necessarily increase the loads above those of geological background in some cases because of local hydrology, which limits the potential of phosphorus transport from land to streams.     

Animal Consciousness and Ethics in Asia and the Pacific

The interactions between humans, animals and the environment have shaped human values and ethics, not only the genes that we are made of. The animal rights movement challenges human beings to reconsider interactions between humans and other animals, and maybe connected to the environmental movement that begs us to recognize the fact that there are symbiotic relationships between humans and all other organisms. The first part of this paper looks at types of bioethics, the implications of autonomy and the value of being alive. Then the level of consciousness of these relationships are explored in survey results from Asia and the Pacific, especially in the 1993 International Bioethics Survey conducted in Australia, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, The Philippines, Russia, Singapore and Thailand. Very few mentioned animal consciousness in the survey, but there were more biocentric comments in Australia and Japan; and more comments with the idea of harmony including humans in Thailand. Comparisons between questions and surveys will also be made, in an attempt to describe what people imagine animal consciousness to be, and whether this relates to human ethics of the relationships. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.