Sustainability of seafood production and consumption: an introduction to the special issue

This paper provides an introduction to the special issue of the Journal of Cleaner Production on “The Sustainability of Seafood Production and Consumption”. The purpose of the special issue is to bring together a series of papers that will form a nucleus for the growth of an emerging area of scholarship. Overfishing and marine habitat damage have generated a global crisis in the production of seafood. In order to respond to this crisis we need systems for the management of seafood production and consumption that will comprehensively reduce and eventually eliminate wastefulness in both capture fisheries and aquaculture systems. Thirteen papers address these issues, with focuses on: seafood harvesting practices, fish processing, life cycle assessment, eco-efficiency, management of wastes, seafood distribution and consumption, total energy costs, eco-labeling, and the conservation of resources and biodiversity. We conclude that major changes are required in our approaches to the management of both the marine environment and our seafood capture and production systems. We also conclude that steps have been taken in this direction, but there is still far to go.     

Statistical theory of the Marshall-Palmer distribution of raindrops

A statistical model is developed for the large-sample-averaged raindrop size spectrum. Under the condition that the “instant” spectrum can be fitted with a gamma distribution, n(D) = N₀D^μe^−λD, it is proven that the averaged spectrum approaches the Marshall-Palmer distribution, n(D) = N₀e^−λD, with the sample number increasing.     

UV/H2O2降解羟苯甲酮反应动力学及影响因素

有机防晒剂随着日常使用不断进入环境中,成为一类新兴污染物.考察了UV/H2O2工艺对典型有机防晒剂羟苯甲酮(BP-3)的水相光化学降解特征,并对BP-3降解反应的影响因素包括初始BP-3浓度、H2O2浓度、UV光强、共存阳离子和阴离子、叔丁醇和腐殖酸投加量等进行了研究.结果表明,BP-3的降解速率常数随初始BP-3浓度升高而降低,随着H2O2浓度增大而增高,随着UV光强增强而增大;阴离子会在一定程度上降低反应速率,阳离子中Fe3+会产生类芬顿反应,促进生成·OH,对降解反应有显著的促进作用,投加叔丁醇和腐殖酸皆会抑制降解反应进行.采用每一对数减小级电能输入(EEo)指标对UV/H2O2工艺的电能利用效率进行了评价,Fe3+的加入显著减小了EEo.研究不同因素对UV/H2O2工艺降解效果的影响,可对实际工程中采用UV/H2O2去除苯甲酮类有机防晒剂提供参考.     

Domestic or imported? An assessment of carbon footprints and sustainability of seafood consumed in Australia

The distance between where food is produced and consumed is increasing, and is often taken as evidence of an unsustainable global food system. Seafood is a highly traded commodity yet seafood sustainability assessments do not typically consider the impacts of the movement of products beyond the fishery or farm. Here we use life cycle assessment to examine the carbon footprint of the production and distribution of select seafood products that are consumed in Australia and determine differences in the sustainability of imports and their domestically produced counterparts. We found that the distance food is transported is not the main determinant of food sustainability. Despite the increased distance between production and consumption, carbon footprints of meals from imported seafood are similar to meals consisting of domestically produced seafood, and sometimes lower, depending on the seafood consumed. In combining LCA with existing seafood sustainability criteria the trade-offs between sustainability targets become more apparent. Carbon ‘footprinting’ is one metric that can be incorporated in assessments of sustainability, thereby demonstrating a broader perspective of the environmental cost of food production and consumption.     

Fractal analysis of polyferric chloride-humic acid (PFC-HA) flocs in di erent topological spaces

The fractal dimensions in di erent topological spaces of polyferric chloride-humic acid (PFC-HA) flocs, formed in flocculating di erent kinds of humic acids (HA) water at di erent initial pH (9.0, 7.0, 5.0) and PFC dosages, were calculated by e ective densitymaximum diameter, image analysis, and N2 absorption-desorption methods, respectively. The mass fractal dimensions (Df) of PFC-HA flocs were calculated by bi-logarithm relation of e ective density with maximum diameter and Logan empirical equation. The Df value was more than 2.0 at initial pH of 7.0, which was 11% and 13% higher than those at pH 9.0 and 5.0, respecively, indicating the most compact flocs formed in flocculated HA water at initial pH of 7.0. The image analysis for those flocs indicates that after flocculating the HA water at initial pH greater than 7.0 with PFC flocculant, the fractal dimensions of D2 (logA vs. logdL) and D3 (logVsphere vs. logdL) of PFC-HA flocs decreased with the increase of PFC dosages, and PFC-HA flocs showed a gradually looser structure. At the optimum dosage of PFC, the D2 (logA vs. logdL) values of the flocs show 14%–43% di erence with their corresponding Df, and they even had di erent tendency with the change of initial pH values. However, the D2 values of the flocs formed at three di erent initial pH in HA solution had a same tendency with the corresponding Df. Based on fractal Frenkel-Halsey-Hill (FHH) adsorption and desorption equations, the pore surface fractal dimensions (Ds) for dried powders of PFC-HA flocs formed in HA water with initial pH 9.0 and 7.0 were all close to 2.9421, and the Ds values of flocs formed at initial pH 5.0 were less than 2.3746. It indicated that the pore surface fractal dimensions of PFC-HA flocs dried powder mainly show the irregularity from the mesopore-size distribution and marcopore-size distribution.     

The evolution of the ENERGY STAR® energy performance indicator for benchmarking industrial plant manufacturing energy use

ENERGY STAR^® is a voluntary government/industry partnership that offers information to businesses and consumers on energy-efficient solutions, making it easier to save money and protect the environment for future generations. Introduced in 1992 by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), this voluntary labeling program was designed to identify and promote energy-efficient products as basic pollution prevention opportunities. The ENERGY STAR label can now be found on appliances, office equipment, lighting, buildings, and more. In 2002, ENERGY STAR was extended beyond its role in identifying energy efficient products to identifying energy-efficient production. The ENERGY STAR industry program focuses on encouraging and enabling sustainable corporate energy management. One of the three information tools EPA developed under ENERGY STAR, which also includes energy management networking and industry specific energy guides, is the energy performance indicator (EPI). The EPI is a statistical benchmarking tool that provides a “birds-eye” view of sector-specific plant-level energy use via a functional relationship between the level of energy use and the level and type of various production activities, material input's quality, and external factors, e.g. climate and material quality. The EPI uses stochastic frontier regression to estimate the lowest observed plant energy use, given these factors. This statistical model also provides a distribution of energy efficiency across the industry, which allows the user to answer the hypothetical but very practical question, “How would my plant compare to everyone else in my industry, if all other plants were similar to mine?” The result is a tool that can be used by corporate and plant energy managers to estimate the energy efficiency of their portfolio of plants. This paper describes the role of the EPI within the context of the overall goals of ENERGY STAR and gives examples of how this information tool was developed and is being used.     

New insights into the evaluation of anaerobic properties of sludge: Biodegradability and stabilization

Evaluating anaerobic biodegradability of sludge and then identifying the stabilization of digestate is necessary in sludge treatment and disposal. 48 sludge samples from 24 typical waste water treatment plants (WWTPs) in 11 provinces in China were selected to investigate the relationship between Biochemical Acidogenic Potential (BAP) test and Biochemical Methane Potential (BMP) test. The volatile fatty acid (VFA) production obtained from BAP tests was found linearly related to the ultimate methane production from corresponding BMP tests. Satisfying results were obtained with Pearson correlation coefficient as 0.929 and R² value as 0.76. Furthermore, the physio-chemical characteristics (FCI, SUVA₂₅₄, E₄/E₆) of supernatant, which were associated with humic-like substances (HS), were investigated before and after BMP tests. Through which a new criterion (FCI>1.50, SUVA₂₅₄>1.10, E₄/E₆<4.0) was proposed to evaluate the stabilization level of anaerobic digested sludge.     

Evaluation of the potential of Sasobit® to reduce required heat energy and CO2 emission in the asphalt industry

Warm-mix asphalt (WMA) has been gaining popularity in the asphalt industry primarily because of its ability to lower the energy required to blend asphalt mixes, which in turn results in less fuel consumption, slower aging of the asphalt binder and reduced emission of greenhouse gases. This paper evaluates the effects of different quantities of a WMA additive known as Sasobit^® on the required heat energy and the amount of CO₂ produced to increase the temperature of two aggregates from three sources and one binder from 25 °C to the point of mixing. The results showed that incorporating 1% Sasobit^® can potentially reduce the required heat energy and amount of CO₂ produced by 2.8% and 3.0%, respectively, for all aggregate types and sources investigated. The paper also presented design charts that enable energy policy makers and engineers to select the appropriate Sasobit^® content to produce the most cost effective asphalt mixture with less environmental impact. The design charts show that 1.6% Sasobit^® content is the most suitable proportion to be blended into the asphalt binder without compromising pavement resistance against fatigue failure. Two similar aggregates from different sources may exhibit similar specific gravities, but their specific heat capacities can vary widely. These differences have a significant effect on the required heat energy, asphalt production cost and the amount of emissions released into the environment.     

NAPLs污染物垂向指流迁移分形表征中图像处理的影响研究

染色示踪技术是研究多孔介质中指流形态的主要手段之一,而如何更精确地对所采集的图像数据进行分析,是该研究工作中非常重要的组成部分.分形理论在染色示踪影像的基础上对指流形态进行定量描述,以质量分形维数(D m)表征渗流面积,以界面分形维数(D s)表征渗流驱替边界长度,对于识别和预测指流形态有一定的实际意义.而分形维数的计算基于二值化图像完成,因此明确图像二值化过程对分形维数表征的影响对分形维数的应用有重要意义.本研究以4种非水相流体在二维砂箱中迁移的130幅染色图像为目标影像,详细比较了图像预处理过程中不同饱和度(红色)阈值、不同亮度(灰度)阈值以及图形中"湖"的填充3个因素分别对D m和D s的影响.结果表明,在砂箱实验中,与田间实验相比由于染色污染物与石英砂颜色对比度较大,红色阈值调整对两种分形维数影响相对较小;随着灰度阈值的提高D m平均降低0.02,D s平均增加0.05;图形中"湖"的填充对D m几乎没有影响,而使D s平均降低0.10.研究发现与D s相比,D m在图像处理过程中受各种因素影响较小,建议在进一步研究中以D m为指流形态指示指标以避免图形处理过程中主观因素的影响.     

添加剂影响CaO固硫反应活性的动力学分析

采用热分析法研究了Al₂O₃、Fe₂O₃和MnCO₃作为添加剂对CaO固硫反应过程的影响,用等效粒子模型对固硫反应过程进行表征,求得了其固硫反应动力学参数.结果表明:MnCO₃与Fe₂O₃对CaO固硫反应的作用机理相同,能提高固硫反应速率常数、产物层有效扩散系数和钙的转化率.通过计算等动力学温度、活化能大小可以判断添加剂对固硫反应活性影响的趋势,但不能准确衡量添加剂对固硫反应活性的贡献;对应温度下的反应速率常数和产物层有效扩散系数更能准确反映添加剂对固硫反应的影响大小.非化学计量金属氧化物通过高温下氧离子、金属离子较强的扩散特性来催化固硫表面化学反应和促进产物层扩散反应.根据不同添加剂的作用机理和对固硫反应的不同控制阶段的影响规律,针对添加剂发挥作用的温度特性和化学反应计量关系复合掺入添加剂,可进一步提高固硫剂转化率.     

Optimising yield and resource utilisation of summer maize under the conditions of increasing density and reducing nitrogen fertilization

The inefficient use of resources always poses risks of maize (Zea mays L.) yield reduction in China. We performed this research to monitor the effects of increasing plant density and reducing nitrogen (N) rate on radiation-use efficiency (RUE), N efficiency traits, grain yield (GY) and their inter-relationships. Besides, whether GY and resource-use efficiency can both be maximized was examined. Hence, a 2-year field experiment was conducted using a widely grown variety “Denghai 618” in Shandong, China. Treatments contained two different plant densities [67,500 (D₁) and 97,500 (D₂) plant ha^?1] and three N levels [0 (N_?2), 180 (N_?1), 360 (N_ck) kg ha^?1], set D₁N_ck as control. Significant increases in grain yield, biomass, RUE, above-ground N uptake (AGN) and N efficiency were observed when density increased from D₁ to D₂. Declining N application was accompanied by reductions in yield, RUE and AGN especially under high density, yet an obvious improvement in N recovery efficiency (NRE), agronomic N efficiency and N partial factor productivity. The increased GY was positive related with population biomass (r = 0.895**), RUE (r = 0.769**) and AGN (r = 0.923**), whereas it has no significant correlation with N efficiency. In this study, D₂N_ck obtained 18.8, 17.9, 24.8 and 29.7% higher grain yield, RUE, AGN and NRE respectively, compared to control, optimizing both yield and the efficiencies of radiation and N use. Furthermore, higher yield and RUE with more desirable N efficiency may be possible via optimizing density and N rate combination.     

木家具关键挥发性有机化合物散发传质特性

木家具中挥发性有机化合物(Volatile Organic Compounds,VOCs)的散发是一个污染环境的复杂传质过程.为把握污染物散发全周期特性,首先建立了一套描述散发行为的显性完全解析模型,适用于模拟对人体最不利的无换气情况.然后基于对模型的分析开发了一种简便快捷的实验方法,能够利用木家具在密闭舱中散发的逐时浓度求取目标VOCs的3个重要传质参数:可散发浓度C0、扩散系数D和分配系数K.实验部分测算了从10个厂家依多种原材料定制的5类20件常见家具,参考出现频率、健康影响、可散发量确定了19类关键污染物,发现总体C0、D、K服从正态分布.此外,结合常见散发参数范围下的数值实验和参数回归分析,提出一组反映散发机理、预测类比不同时空尺度下散发数据的准则关联式,并分析得出空气交换率和承载率对散发影响较大、空气流速对散发影响较小.     

填埋场渗滤液腐殖酸随填埋龄的变化特性及模型研究

以福建省12个不同填埋场渗滤液作为研究对象,分析了不同填埋龄渗滤液中腐殖酸的性质随填埋龄的变化关系.结果表明,渗滤液中富里酸(FA)浓度和比例都高于胡敏酸(HA),且HA、FA和腐殖酸(HS)的浓度都随着填埋龄的增加呈先上升后下降,HA所占比例随填埋龄的增加呈先上升后下降的趋势,而FA和HS则是先上升,后呈波动变化.HA、FA的E280、E300/E400和E465/E665的分析结果表明HA较FA有更多的芳环结构,更大的分子量和较高腐殖化程度;随着填埋龄的增加,HA的腐殖化程度呈下降趋势,而FA则呈上升趋势;HA和FA的E300/E400和E465/E665随填埋龄的增加并未有明显的变化趋势.根据有机物降解动力学原理建立模型,分别对HA、FA和HS的浓度和填埋龄的变化关系进行拟合,结果表明模型的模拟值和实测值具有较好的一致性,HA、FA和HS模拟值和实测值的相关系数R2分别为0.820、0.932和0.946.表明该模型能有效模拟和预测腐殖酸随填埋龄的浓度变化关系.     

Biogas production from maize and dairy cattle manure—Influence of biomass composition on the methane yield

There is an increasing world wide demand for energy crops and animal manures for biogas production. To meet these demands, this research project aimed at optimising anaerobic digestion of maize and dairy cattle manures. Methane production was measured for 60 days in 1 l eudiometer batch digesters at 38 °C. Manure received from dairy cows with medium milk yield that were fed a well balanced diet produced the highest specific methane yield of 166.3 Nl CH₄ kg VS⁻¹. Thirteen early to late ripening maize varieties were grown on several locations in Austria. Late ripening varieties produced more biomass than medium or early ripening varieties. On fertile locations in Austria more than 30 Mg VS ha⁻¹ can be produced. The methane yield declined as the crop approaches full ripeness. With late ripening maize varieties, yields ranged between 312 and 365 Nl CH₄ kg VS⁻¹ (milk ripeness) and 268–286 Nl CH₄ kg VS⁻¹ (full ripeness). Silaging increased the methane yield by about 25% compared to green, non-conserved maize. Maize (Zea mays L.) is optimally harvested, when the product from specific methane yield and VS yield per hectare reaches a maximum. With early to medium ripening varieties (FAO 240–390), the optimum harvesting time is at the “end of wax ripeness”. Late ripening varieties (FAO ca. 600) may be harvested later, towards “full ripeness”. Maximum methane yield per hectare from late ripening maize varieties ranged between 7100 and 9000 Nm³ CH₄ ha⁻¹. Early and medium ripening varieties yielded 5300–8500 Nm³ CH₄ ha⁻¹ when grown in favourable regions. The highest methane yield per hectare was achieved from digestion of whole maize crops. Digestion of corns only or of corn cob mix resulted in a reduction in methane yield per hectare of 70 and 43%, respectively. From the digestion experiments a multiple linear regression equation, the Methane Energy Value Model, was derived that estimates methane production from the composition of maize. It is a helpful tool to optimise biogas production from energy crops. The Methane Energy Value Model requires further validation and refinement.     

生命周期评价在我国乙烯行业环境评估中的应用

采用IMPACT 2002+方法对我国的乙烯行业进行了生命周期评价(LCA)研究,分析了包括原油生产、原煤生产、原料生产、乙烯生产和电力生产5个环节在内的13种污染物排放对乙烯行业的环境影响.结果表明,乙烯工业对不可再生能源原油的消耗,对温室效应、呼吸效应和水体酸化等的环境影响潜值最为严重.减少乙烯生产环节和原料生产环节(炼油过程)的SO2、NOx、CO2等气体的排放,以及原油开采过程的CH4逸放,是改善环境影响的关键因素.同时,以石脑油为原料裂解乙烯工艺比以轻烃为原料制乙烯工艺对环境的影响要小.而煤制烯烃工艺对环境影响较大,仍具有一定改进空间.总体来看,经过近十年发展,我国乙烯行业对资源利用效率和缓解尾气排放两方面都有显著的提升.     

Controls on the phosphorus content of fine stream bed sediments in agricultural headwater catchments at the landscape-scale

There have been no landscape-scale assessments which quantify the relative importance of the organic and mineral properties of BS (bed sediment) and associated catchment characteristics (geology, land cover and mean topsoil phosphorus (P) content) for BSP concentration. Mid infra red diffuse reflectance spectrometry was applied to estimate the quantities of organic matter, dithionite extractable aluminium- (Al_d) and iron (Fe_d), kaolinite, dioctahedral clay and mica (D&M) minerals in 1052 snapshot samples of fine (<150 μm) BS in small to medium-sized (5-55 km²) agricultural headwater catchments across a large area (15 400 km²) of central England. Analyses included estimates of BS specific surface area, cerium (Ce) concentrations (enriched in P-bearing apatite and P-fertilsers), and catchment average topsoil P content.Simple linear regression demonstrated that the proportion of variance in BSP explained by specific components of BS across all catchments declined in the following order: Al_d > Fe_d > topsoil P = kaolinite = residual iron> organic matter = Ce> D&M > mineral SSA. No single component accounted for more than 36% of the variance in BSP. Multiple regression - including a classification of bedrock lithology and proportions of arable and grassland by area - accounted for 61.9% of the variance in BSP. The proportion of arable and grassland by area in each catchment was also a statistically significant predictor of BSP. Across this large region - with widely differing geology and soils - Fe_d in BS is more strongly associated with kaolinite than D&M minerals because iron-oxyhydroxides and kaolinite form contemporaneously during pedogenesis. The SSA of fine bed sediments is largely determined by catchment area, fitted accurately using a power function.     

Microalgae cultivation using an aquaculture wastewater as growth medium for biomass and biofuel production

Microalgae as a main feedstock has attracted much attention in recent years but is still not economically feasible due to high algal culture cost. The objective of this study was to develop a comprehensive eco-friendly technology for cultivating microalgae Platymonas subcordiformis using aquaculture wastewater as growth medium for biomass and biofuel production. Platymonas subcordiformis was grown in pretreated flounder aquaculture wastewaters taken from different stages. Each of wastewater contained different levels of nutrients. The biomass yield of microalgae and associated nitrogen and phosphorous removal were investigated. The results showed that algal cell density increased 8.9 times than the initial level. Platymonas subcordiformis removed nitrogen and phosphorus from wastewater with an average removal efficiency of 87%–95% for nitrogen and 98%–99% for phosphorus. It was feasible to couple the removal of nitrogen and phosphorus from wastewater to algal biomass and biofuel production. However, further studies are required to make this technologies economically viable for algae biofuel production.     

广州城市污泥燃烧性能综合评价及其燃烧动力学模型

采集了广州5种不同来源城市污泥(分别为KFQ、DTS、LJ、LD和ZZ)及肇庆市1种污水污泥(ZQ),利用热重法对6种干污泥的单一样及两种干污泥的混合样在不同条件下进行了热重实验研究,并通过TG-DTG曲线计算了污泥燃烧的4个综合燃烧指数.研究发现,广州当前城市污泥具有高挥发分、低固定碳和低热值的特点.整个污泥燃烧可以分为水分析出、挥发分析出、挥发分燃烧和焦炭燃烧4个阶段,并且不同来源污泥这4个燃烧阶段差别较大,其中,挥发分的析出和燃烧制约着污泥的整个燃烧过程.不同来源污泥的燃烧性能与污水处理厂水处理工艺、污泥种类及其理化性质有关.从挥发分释放特性指数D、可燃性指数C、综合燃烧特性指数S来看,6种污泥中,LJ污泥燃烧性能最好,而LD污泥的燃烧性能最差.KFQ与ZZ污泥混合后,除D指数外,其他指数都变小,而升温速率过快,并不能显著提高污泥的综合燃烧性能.采用积分法(Coats-Redfern方程)计算得到各燃烧阶段的反应的机理方程及相应的活化能参数,发现活化能大小与污泥的燃烧阶段是相对应的.     

不同形态无机氮对水中微量药物安替比林光降解效能影响

在300 W氙灯光照条件下,研究了消炎镇痛类药物安替比林(ANT)在纯水中的光降解效能与机制,重点考察了水中不同形态无机氮及pE值对ANT光降解效能的影响.结果表明,ANT在不同条件下的光降解均符合假一级反应动力学;ANT在纯水中的光降解包括直接光解以及由羟基自由基(.OH)和单线态氧(1O2)参与的自敏化光解,贡献率分别为55.27%、22.19%和22.54%.不同形态无机氮(NH4+、NO2-和NO3-)单独存在条件下对ANT光降解效能的影响差异较大.在pE值较低时,即无机氮主要以NH4+形式存在,对ANT的光降解几乎没有影响;随着pE值的升高(由4.82～6.85),NH4+向NO2-转化,由于NO2-不仅能与ANT竞争吸收光子,同时还对.OH具有较强的淬灭作用,使得其对ANT光降解的抑制作用逐渐增强,当pE值达到6.85,即无机氮主要以NO2-形式存在时,ANT光降解的抑制率达到最高为35.31%;随着pE值的继续升高(由6.85～8.15),NO2-向NO3-转化,对ANT光降解的抑制作用逐渐减弱.