Application of enteric viruses for fecal pollution source tracking in environmental waters

Microbial source tracking (MST) tools are used to identify sources of fecal pollution for accurately assessing public health risk and implementing best management practices (BMPs). This review focuses on the potential of enteric viruses for MST applications. Following host infection, enteric viruses replicate and are excreted in high numbers in the hosts' feces and urine. Due to the specificity in host infection, enteric viruses have been considered one of the most accurate library-independent culture-independent MST tools. In an assessment of molecular viral assays based on sensitivity, specificity and the density of the target virus in fecal-impacted samples, human adenovirus and human polyomavirus were found to be the most promising human-specific viral markers. However, more research is needed to identify promising viral markers for livestock because of cross-reactions that were observed among livestock species or the limited number of samples tested for specificity. Other viral indicators of fecal origin, F+ RNA coliphage and pepper mild mottle virus, have also been proposed as potential targets for developing MST markers. Enhancing the utility of enteric viruses for MST applications through next generation sequencing (NGS) and virus concentration technology is discussed in the latter part of this review. The massive sequence databases generated by shotgun and gene-targeted metagenomics enable more efficient and reliable design of MST assays. Finally, recent studies revealed that alternative virus concentration methodologies may be more cost-effective than standard technologies such as 1MDS; however, improvements in the recovery efficiency and consistency are still needed. Overall, developments in metagenomic information combined with efficient concentration methodologies, as well as high host-specificity, make enteric viruses a promising tool in MST applications.     

Risk evaluation of natural disasters based on connection function

There are many uncertain factors,such as stochastic,fuzzy and gray information in the risk analysis on natural hazard.The set pair analysis(SPA)deals effectively with the various uncertain factors contributing to evaluation of the risk level of natural disasters.The evaluation indicators and standards of natural disasters risk are analyzed by identity-discrepancycontrary(IDC).The result,the connection numbers,still has uncertainty information.Thus,yielding the risk evaluation model of natural disasters based on connection function,which construct a set pair relation between the indicators of connection numbers and comprehensive evaluation standards,and describe uncertainty of the connection numbers by using connection function.The study showed that the proposed model takes into account only the uncertainty of risk evaluation indicator identification on natural disasters,also the uncertainty of result connection numbers.This approach gives full consideration to the uncertainty of systematic evaluation process along with the actual meaning of comprehensive evaluation functions.Therefore,this means it is able to reduce the uncertainty of final evaluation results and improve the accuracy and reasonability of evaluation results.This model is capable of reflecting actual situation of the risk evaluation on natural disaster affected by various uncertain factors and has a promotional value in the natural disaster risk assessment.     

Applicability of risk-based management and the need for risk-based economic decision analysis at hazardous waste contaminated sites

Decision analysis in subsurface contamination management is generally carried out through a traditional engineering economic viewpoint. However, new advances in human health risk assessment, namely, the probabilistic risk assessment, and the growing awareness of the importance of soft data in the decision-making process, require decision analysis methodologies that are capable of accommodating non-technical and politically biased qualitative information. In this work, we discuss the major limitations of the currently practiced decision analysis framework, which evolves around the definition of risk and cost of risk, and its poor ability to communicate risk-related information. A demonstration using a numerical example was conducted to provide insight on these limitations of the current decision analysis framework. The results from this simple ground water contamination and remediation scenario were identical to those obtained from studies carried out on existing Superfund sites, which suggests serious flaws in the current risk management framework. In order to provide a perspective on how these limitations may be avoided in future formulation of the management framework, more matured and well-accepted approaches to decision analysis in dam safety and the utility industry, where public health and public investment are of great concern, are presented and their applicability in subsurface remediation management is discussed. Finally, in light of the success of the application of risk-based decision analysis in dam safety and the utility industry, potential options for decision analysis in subsurface contamination management are discussed.     

Triclosan in wastewaters and biosolids from Australian wastewater treatment plants

Triclosan (TCS) is an antimicrobial agent widely used in many personal care products. This study investigated the occurrence of TCS in effluents, biosolids and surface waters, and its fate in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The aqueous concentrations of TCS in nineteen effluents from Australian WWTPs ranged from 23 ng/L to 434 ng/L with a median concentration of 108 ng/L, while its concentrations in nineteen biosolids ranged from 0.09 mg/kg to 16.79 mg/kg on dry weight basis with a median concentration of 2.32 mg/kg. The removal rates for TCS in five selected WWTPs were found to range between 72% and 93%. Biological degradation was believed to be the predominant removal mechanism for TCS in the WWTPs. However, adsorption onto sludge also played a significant role in the removal of TCS in the WWTPs. TCS at concentrations up to 75 ng/L was detected in surface waters (outfall, upstream, and downstream) from five rivers receiving effluent discharge from WWTPs. Preliminary risk assessment based on the worst-case scenario showed that the TCS concentrations in surface waters might lead to risks to aquatic organisms such as algae. Based on the TCS levels in the biosolids, application of biosolids on agricultural land may also cause adverse effects in the soil environment.     

Socio-economic vulnerability of the megacity of Shanghai (China) to sea-level rise and associated storm surges

Sea-level rise (SLR) poses a significant threat to many coastal areas and will likely have important impacts on socio-economic development in those regions. Located on the eastern coast in China, the megacity of Shanghai is particularly vulnerable to SLR and associated storm surge risks. Using the municipality of Shanghai as a case study, the possible impacts of flooding risks caused by SLR and associated storm surges on socio-economic development in the region were analysed by a Source–Pathway–Receptor–Consequence (SPRC) conceptual model. The projections of flooding risk in the study area were simulated by MIKE21 (a two-dimensional hydrodynamic model) for the three time periods of 2030, 2050 and 2100. An index system for vulnerability assessment was devised, in which flooding depth, density of population, GDP per capita, GDP per unit land, loss rate under flooding and fiscal revenue were selected as the key indicators. A quantitative spatial assessment method based on a GIS platform was established by quantifying each indicator, calculating and then grading the vulnerability index. The results showed that in the 2030 projection, 99.3 % of the areas show no vulnerability to SLR and associated storm surges under the present infrastructure. By 2050, the areas with low, moderate and high vulnerabilities change significantly to 5.3, 8.0 and 23.9 %, respectively, while by 2100, the equivalent figures are 12.9, 6.3 and 30.7 %. The application of the SPRC model, the methodology and the results from this study could assist with the objective and quantitative assessment of the socio-economic vulnerability of other similar coastal regions undergoing the impacts of SLR and associated storm surges. Based on the results of this study, mitigation and adaptation measures should be considered, which include the controlling the rate of land subsidence, the reinforcement of coastal defence systems and the introduction of adaptation in long-term urban planning.     

汉江流域上游作物水分生态适应性研究

采用农田水量平衡模型,结合GIS技术,通过构建作物水分亏缺风险指数,对汉江流域上游区小麦、玉米等主要作物的水分生态适应性进行了系统研究。结果表明：就全生育期而言,自然降水不能满足作物生长发育的需求,水分亏缺是汉江流域上游区农田水分平衡的主要特征;就不同作物来讲,水稻多年平均水分亏缺风险指数达23.26%,是全流域生态适应性最差的作物,麻类、薯类生态适应性较强;作物生长发育不同时段,各作物水分生态适应性差异较大,春旱应引起足够重视。     

Human health risk assessment of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in plant tissue due to biosolids and manure amendments,and wastewater irrigation

Amending soil with biosolids or livestock manure provides essential nutrients in agriculture. Irrigation with wastewater allows for agriculture in regions where water resources are limited. However, biosolids, manure and wastewater have all been shown to contain pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs). Studies have shown that PPCPs can accumulate in the tissues of plants but the risk that accumulated residues may pose to humans via consumption of edible portions is not well documented. This study reviewed the literature for studies that reported residues of PPCPs in the edible tissue of plants grown in biosolids- or manure-amended soils or irrigated with wastewater. These residues were used to determine the estimated daily intake of PPCPs for an adult and toddler. Estimated daily intake values were compared to acceptable daily intakes to determine whether PPCPs in plant tissue pose a hazard to human health. For all three amendment practices, the majority of reported residues resulted in hazard quotients < 0.1. Amendment with biosolids or manure resulted in hazard quotients ≥ 0.1 for carbamazepine, diphenhydramine, salbutamol, triclosan, and sulfamethazine. Irrigation with wastewater resulted in hazard quotients of ≥ 0.1 for flunixin, ketoprofen, lamotrigine, metoprolol, and sildenafil. Many of the residues that resulted in hazard quotients ≥ 0.1 were due to exposing plants to concentrations of PPCPs that would not be considered relevant based on concentrations reported in biosolids and manure or unrealistic methods of exposure, which lead to artificially elevated plant residues. Our assessment indicates that the majority of individual PPCPs in the edible tissue of plants due to biosolids or manure amendment or wastewater irrigation represent a de minimis risk to human health. Assuming additivity, the mixture of PPCPs could potentially present a hazard. Further work needs to be done to assess the risk of the mixture of PPCPs that may be present in edible tissue of plants grown under these three amendment practices.     

基于湖泊形态分析的旅游开发适宜性评价——以大梁子湖为例

在旅游开发建设压力下,湖泊生态环境面临巨大挑战。湖泊旅游开发适宜性评价鲜少从湖泊形态入手,而湖泊形态参数所揭示的湖泊水文特征会在一定程度上对旅游开发造成影响。以GIS技术为工具,选取大梁子湖分形几何维数和欧式几何形态指标（岸线发育系数、形状率、近圆率、紧凑度、空间包容面积）作为湖泊形态参数,通过Mapgis软件分析,获得大梁子湖湖泊形态分形维数为1.549,同时进一步计算出构成大梁子湖的6大湖泊的欧式几何形态指标,以此构建基于湖泊形态的旅游开发适宜性评价指标体系,建立湖泊形态和旅游开发适宜性关系模型,揭示湖泊水文特征与景观吸引力、生态脆弱程度、旅游环境安全性以及游客环境容量等旅游开发适宜性指标的内在联系,为湖泊旅游开发决策提供科学依据     

Fate of oil from two major oil spills: Role of microbial degradation in removing oil from the Amoco Cadiz and IXTOC I spills

The fate of oil was examined in intertidal sediments impacted by the Amoco Cadiz spill in Brittany, France, and in surface waters contaminated by the IXTOC I well blowout in the Bay of Campeche, Mexico. The role of microbial degradation in removing the contaminating hydrocarbons was assessed by laboratory determinations of numbers of hydrocarbon utilizing microorganisms, measurement of microbial hydrocarbon biodegradation potentials, by chemical analyses of samples incubated under controlled conditions and by examination of the evolution of the hydrocarbon mixture in field samples collected after the spill. Analyses included the use of ¹⁴C radiolabelled hydrocarbon tracers, glass capillary-gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. Numbers of hydrocarbon utilizing microorganisms were found to be elevated by several orders of magnitude in oil contaminated samples. Numbers of hydrocarbon utilizing microorganisms appear to provide a useful index of environmental hydrocarbon contamination. However, environmental constraints on microbial processes appear to be most important in determining actual rates of biodegradation rather than numbers of available hydrocarbon utilizing microorganisms. Very high rates of degradation were found in intertidal sediments impacted by the Amoco Cadiz spill. In contrast, rates of degradation in the Gulf of Mexico were found to be much lower, partly due to nutrient limitations and partly due to the formation of large masses of oil-water emulsion or mousse.     

An approach to comparative assessments of potential health risks from exposure to radionuclides and hazardous chemicals

The need to compare potential health risks to the public associated with different activities that can result in releases of hazardous substances to the environment is becoming increasingly important in decision-making. In making such comparisons, it is desirable to use equivalent indicators of potential health risks for radionuclides, chemical carcinogens, and noncarcinogenic hazardous chemicals. Current approaches to risk assessment that were developed for purposes of protecting human health do not provide equivalent indicators of potential risks from exposure to radionuclides and hazardous chemicals. Comparisons of environmental concentrations or calculated exposures or risks with standards for protection of public health also do not provide equivalent indicators of potential risks. We propose a simple approach to comparative risk assessments in which calculated exposures to any hazardous substances are expressed relative to no-observed-effect levels (NOELs) or, preferably, lower confidence limits of benchmark doses (BMDLs) in humans. This approach provides an equivalent, science-based indicator of the relative risks posed by different exposures to any hazardous substances.     

重庆地票制度风险评估研究

地票制度风险评估能够有效规避、减小风险,保证地票制度安全运行。采用DSP制度风险研究技术体系识别并评价重庆地票制度风险影响因素,再采用综合评价模型对地票制度风险进行评估。结果表明:①地票制度风险因素有5个,分别为耕地保护风险、国家宏观调控的风险、房地产市场冲击风险、统筹城乡的风险和农民权益保护的风险;②地票制度风险准则层中5个风险的相对严重程度依次为农民权益保护的风险、耕地保护风险、国家宏观调控的风险、房地产市场冲击风险和统筹城乡风险,指标层中农村宅基地社会保障未充分考虑的风险、农民复垦的主体地位未得到充分体现的风险、耕地总量动态平衡的风险、地票落地区农民权益未得到充分保障的风险和国家计划指标的冲击风险这5个风险比较大;③地票制度系统风险值为0.38,系统风险较低,风险处于可控状态。     

Cross-sectional mortality studies and air pollution risk assessment

The use of coefficients, derived from cross-sectional mortality studies, for air pollution risk assessment is quite controversial. In this study, the major limitations of cross-sectional studies are reviewed. The consistency of results from the major recent cross-sectional studies is examined, and the sensitivity of results to model specification is analyzed. Finally, the implications for risk assessment of our inquiries are discussed.     

基于情景分析的区域洪涝灾害风险评价——以巢湖流域为例

洪涝灾害是制约区域粮食安全和社会可持续发展的主要因子之一。在风险识别的基础上,从致灾因子、孕灾环境、承灾体等方面选取评价指标,建立评价指标体系。运用层次分析法确定指标权重,通过情景分析技术从降水、土地利用、人口、GDP等方面构建复合情景;应用GIS空间分析技术构建洪涝灾害风险评价模型,对巢湖流域洪涝灾害风险进行评价。研究结果表明:2020年巢湖流域洪涝灾害危险性由东南部向西北部减小;合肥市区的洪涝灾害易损性最大,和县的易损性最小。巢湖流域东南部洪涝灾害风险最大,西南部的大别山区风险较小,随着重现期的增大,流域的洪涝灾害风险也逐渐增大。模拟灾害发生的情景,并分析不同情景下的洪涝灾害风险,更能体现洪涝灾害的不确定性和变化性,为流域防洪战略决策研究提供科学依据。     

‘Subjective resilience’: using perceptions to quantify household resilience to climate extremes and disasters

How should we measure a household’s resilience to climate extremes, climate change or other evolving threats? As resilience gathers momentum on the international stage, interest in this question continues to grow. So far, efforts to measure resilience have largely focused on the use of ‘objective’ frameworks and methods of indicator selection. These typically depend on a range of observable socio-economic variables, such as levels of income, the extent of a household’s social capital or its access to social safety nets. Yet while objective methods have their uses, they suffer from well-documented weaknesses. This paper advocates for the use of an alternative but complementary method: the measurement of ‘subjective’ resilience at the household level. The concept of subjective resilience stems from the premise that people have an understanding of the factors that contribute to their ability to anticipate, buffer and adapt to disturbance and change. Subjective household resilience therefore relates to an individual’s cognitive and affective self-evaluation of their household’s capabilities and capacities in responding to risk. We discuss the advantages and limitations of measuring subjective household resilience and highlight its relationships with other concepts such as perceived adaptive capacity, subjective well-being and psychological resilience. We then put forward different options for the design and delivery of survey questions on subjective household resilience. While the approach we describe is focused at the household level, we show how it has the potential to be aggregated to inform sub-national or national resilience metrics and indicators. Lastly, we highlight how subjective methods of resilience assessment could be used to improve policy and decision-making. Above all, we argue that, alongside traditional objective measures and indicators, efforts to measure resilience should take into account subjective aspects of household resilience in order to ensure a more holistic understanding of resilience to climate extremes and disasters.     

Analysis of building environment assessment frameworks and their implications for sustainability indicators

Green construction is gaining increasing attention in the global context. However, the construction of sustainable green buildings and environments involves different tools and systems and diverse perspectives. Therefore, the development of environmental assessment tools is an important task for managing green housing and green building projects. In this paper, we discuss the benefits, limitations, and future directions of the assessment framework. There are four characteristics of building environmental assessment, i.e., comprehensiveness, design guideline, signaling, and communication tools, which afford both benefits and limitations. We illustrate the role of the assessment framework as a hub promoting integration of diverse knowledge, as a design guideline encouraging better design and action, as signaling environmentally friendly design and action, and as a communication tool. On the other hand, there are limitations, such as the use of a mixture of quantitative and qualitative measures, ambiguity of weighing, lack of financial evaluation, and lack of involvement of diverse disciplines and stakeholders. To develop an effective assessment framework, the following three factors must be considered: knowledge, power, and implementation. We propose that knowledge innovation, a credible approach for a salient solution, and collective action represent the future challenges of the assessment framework.     

基于神经元网络模型的崇明东滩湿地生态系统健康评估

崇明东滩湿地位于崇明岛的东端,是全球重要的生态敏感区域,由于受到人类活动的干扰,生态系统健康遭受威胁,因此有必要对其健康进行定量的评价研究。以崇明东滩湿地为研究区域,以生态系统健康理论为基础,选取地形地貌、环境、生物、人类干扰等指标,并将研究区的健康分为五级,建立东滩湿地健康评价指标体系。结合GIS的技术,以网格为评价单元,并在神经元网络模型理论和技术的支持下,提出了一个分布式神经网络湿地生态系统健康评价模型,定量的分析崇明东滩湿地的健康状况,为湿地的合理利用与保护提供决策支持和科学依据。研究结果从空间上显示了崇明东滩湿地不同区域的健康状况,总体来说处于一个比较健康的状态,但健康状态较好的区域面积只占30％,相对一般区占70％,且生态系统健康将呈下降趋势。因此,需要对湿地加强管理,使湿地生态系统可持续发展。     

Risk to water security for small islands: an assessment framework and application

The freshwater resources of small islands are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and human stressors due to their limited extent and adaptive capacity. A water security approach is useful for effective management of the water resources; however, understanding risk to water security is critical in order to effectively plan and adapt to future changes. Currently available assessment tools generally do not incorporate risk and are not suitable for application on small islands, where the hydrogeological setting has unique vulnerabilities. The aim of this work is to provide a framework to characterize risk to water security for small islands. The risk assessment was developed using Andros Island, the Bahamas, as a case study area. Numerical modelling characterizes the response of the water system to potential future stressors related to climate change and human development, the results of which are integrated into the assessment framework. Based on risk assessment principles, indicators are determined for susceptibility, hazard threat, vulnerability and loss, in order to define the risk to water security. The resulting indicators are presented in geospatial maps that rank areas of risk to water security. These maps were provided to local water managers and policy-makers in the Bahamas as a tool to identify high-risk areas for near-term action and to inform long-term planning. The maps have also been used as a platform to engage local residents and raise awareness about the impact climate change and land-use activities may have on water security.     

Does human activity impact the natural antibiotic resistance background? Abundance of antibiotic resistance genes in 21 Swiss lakes

Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are emerging environmental contaminants, known to be continuously discharged into the aquatic environment via human and animal waste. Freshwater aquatic environments represent potential reservoirs for ARG and potentially allow sewage-derived ARG to persist and spread in the environment. This may create increased opportunities for an eventual contact with, and gene transfer to, human and animal pathogens via the food chain or drinking water. However, assessment of this risk requires a better understanding of the level and variability of the natural resistance background and the extent of the human impact. We have analyzed water samples from 21 Swiss lakes, taken at sampling points that were not under the direct influence of local contamination sources and analyzed the relative abundance of ARG using quantitative real-time PCR. Copy numbers of genes mediating resistance to three different broad-spectrum antibiotic classes (sulfonamides: sul1, sul2, tetracyclines: tet(B), tet(M), tet(W) and fluoroquinolones: qnrA) were normalized to copy numbers of bacterial 16S rRNA genes. We used multiple linear regression to assess if ARG abundance is related to human activities in the catchment, microbial community composition and the eutrophication status of the lakes. Sul genes were detected in all sampled lakes, whereas only four lakes contained quantifiable numbers of tet genes, and qnrA remained below detection in all lakes. Our data indicate higher abundance of sul1 in lakes with increasing number and capacity of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in the catchment. sul2 abundance was rather related to long water residence times and eutrophication status. Our study demonstrates the potential of freshwater lakes to preserve antibiotic resistance genes, and provides a reference for ARG abundance from lake systems with low human impact as a baseline for assessing ARG contamination in lake water.     

CO2地质储存泄露安全风险评价方法初探

CO2地质储存作为一项有效、直接的碳减排技术,本质上属于环保型工程项目。在总结国内外已有的风险评价方法的基础上,结合CO2地质储存机理及工作属性,借鉴国际风险评价经验,以及我国核废料、一般工业固体废弃物填埋等类似工程项目风险评价工作方法,对适用于我国的CO2地质储存安全风险评价的定义进行了探讨,并将CO2地质储存泄露风险评价分为风险评价、风险评估与风险控制三部分内容。通过CO2地质储存泄露通道及泄露后可能产生的环境危害分析,建立了由地质因素、工程单元因素、施工因素及其它因素四个风险因子指标层及其亚层组成的CO2地质储存泄露的安全风险层次指标体系,初步提出了风险评估方法以及CO2泄露可接受的安全风险标准;最后根据CO2地质储存泄露风险提出了不同风险的控制方法及建议,对CO2地质储存场地选址中的安全风险评价、工程实施及监测具有一定意义。     

基于灾变理论的盐城市土地生态安全评价研究

土地生态安全关系到区域的可续发展。以压力 状态 响应模型与灾变理论相结合,根据盐城市的土地利用特点,分别从社会、经济和生态环境方面构建土地生态安全评价指标体系,分析盐城市2002～2011年的土地生态安全变化情况,找出其中的问题,能为盐城市土地利用可持续发展提供理论依据和参考价值。研究表明：盐城市土地利用生态安全等级除了2003年和2007年为安全等级外,其余8 a均为中等安全、不安全和极不安全等级,而且基本呈逐年下降趋势;人口、环保投入和城镇化是导致盐城市土地利用生态安全等级下降的重要影响因素,这种现实状况应该引起政府相关决策部门的高度重视,最后提出了几点建议