地理信息系统在环境领域中的应用

地理信息系统（ＧＩＳ）是运用于环境和领域的现代化手段，文章介绍了ＧＩＳ在风险管理、水资源管理方面的应用，说明了ＧＩＳ在传统方法相比具有显著的优越性，在环境科学领域有着远大的应用前景。     

厌氧复合床处理抗生素废水技术

本文对厌氧复合床处理抗生素废水技术进行小试研究（反应器体积62L）和中试研究（反应器体积22m^3）以及生产性应用（反应器体积600m^3），试验研究与生产性应用，厌氧复合床具有反应液传质和分离效果好、生物量大和生物种类多、处理效率高和运行稳定性强的特征，是实用高效的厌氧生物反应器。     

一种新兴的高级氧化技术——超临界水氧化法

超临界水氧化法在处理废水方面具有独特的优势。从超临界水的性质，超临界水氧化法原理、工艺、应用和优越性等方面阐述了超临界水氧化法作为一种新兴的高级氧化技术具有广阔的应用前景，并且提出了解决现存问题的建议。     

改性海泡石在环境污染治理中的应用

改性海泡石是一种纤维状富镁粘土矿物，其独特的层状结构和巨大的比表面使其具有吸附性强、离子交换能力大的特点，且具有二次污染小、可重复使用的优点，因此在污染治理方面的应用较为广泛。从天然海泡石、改性海泡石的结构与性质的比较上，对改性海泡石在废水治理、气体净化、土壤修复等污染治理方面的研究进展进行了评述，并对其开发利用进行了分析和探讨。     

型煤空心砖技术

型煤空心砖技术集型煤燃烧技术与空心砖生产技术于一身，集中煤、煤矸石的有效利用，型煤燃烧的固硫、降尘，废渣（炉渣综合利用）制备建材用空心砖于一体，是燃煤与建材领域的一次革命，具有经济和环境的双重效益，应用前景十分广泛。     

TiO2光催化氧化十二烷基苯磺酸钠

家用或工业用表面活性剂的排放是河流、湖泊和海洋的主要污染源之一，其中十二烷基本磺酸钠比较具有代表性。用TiO2光催化其降解具有无毒、快速、矿化彻底、操作成本低、催化剂价廉易得、无二次污染等优点，应用前景广阔。本文就该反应的机理、反应动力学以及影响反应的影响作了简要概述。     

凹凸棒石粘土处理印染废水研究

凹凸棒石粘土是一种新型净水材料，具有很强的吸附性和脱色能力，价格低廉，具有较大的应用前景，实验室和中试结果都表明用粉状凹凸棒石粘土处理印染废水，投量０．０５－０．１％，ＣＯＤｅｒ去除率＞７０％，色度去除率达９０％，处理原印染水可达标排放，串联在生化系统之后，可达到回用要求。     

异养硝化及其在污水脱氮中的作用

通过与传统自养硝化作用的比较，异养硝化作用不仅是客观存在的过程，而且某些特殊的异养菌，可以同步进行异养硝化和好氧反硝化，对于污水脱氮具有重要的理论意义和应用价值。     

厌氧氨氧化的研究及其应用

厌氧氨氧化是近年来发现的一种新的氮素转化途径。与部分硝化相结合，应用于污水脱氮，具有运行成本低、节约能源和资源等优点。厌氧氨氧化是一生物过程，已确定的细菌有2种：Candidauas Brocadia anammoxidans和Candidatus Kuenenia stuttgartiensis。描述了其生理学特性、生物化学途径，介绍了其2种应用途径：全自养亚硝酸型脱氮(CANON)和SHARON-ANAMMOX。     

生物表面活性剂及其在环境修复中的研究进展

生物表面活性剂是由微生物分泌的天然产物，由于其物理性质和化学结构与许多人工合成的表面活性剂相似，并且对土壤、淡水、海洋等生态系统毒性较低，因而在环境污染治理方面，特别是在重金属和石油等有机溶剂污染的原位和异位生物修复方面具有极大的应用潜力。主要综述了近年国内外生物表面活性剂在廉价制备、作用机理、环境修复中的研究进展。     

Meteorological conditions at the release site during the two tracer experiments

The state of the boundary layer at the release site during the two tracer experiments is described, based on measurements of atmospheric turbulence carried out by a sonic anemometer, profiles of horizontal and vertical wind by a SODAR as well as frequent radiosonde releases. The boundary layer height is derived from radiosoundings, modelled and discussed. The study is meant as background for discussions of the tracer behaviour near the release site, and possible influence of the local meteorology at the release site on the long-range dispersion. The difference in the initial meso-meteorological conditions between the two experiments is discussed and some of its consequences for the dispersion of the released tracer are clarified. It is concluded that the first experiment is well suited for validation of long-range transport and dispersion models, whereas the second experiment calls for further model development. It is concluded that the micrometeorological measurements are very important as background information for the understanding of plume behaviour on small as well as long scales.     

How the loss of forest fauna undermines the achievement of the SDGs

The human-driven loss of biodiversity has numerous ecological, social, and economic impacts at the local and global levels, threatening important ecological functions and jeopardizing human well-being. In this perspective, we present an overview of how tropical defaunation—defined as the disappearance of fauna as a result of anthropogenic drivers such as hunting and habitat alteration in tropical forest ecosystems—is interlinked with four selected Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We discuss tropical defaunation related to nutrition and zero hunger (SDG 2), good health and well-being (SDG 3), climate action (SDG 13), and life on land (SDG 15). We propose a range of options on how to study defaunation in future research and how to address the ongoing tropical defaunation crisis, including but not limited to recent insights from policy, conservation management, and development practice.     

Review on the use of enzymes for the detection of organochlorine, organophosphate and carbamate pesticides in the environment

Pesticides are released intentionally into the environment and, through various processes, contaminate the environment. Three of the main classes of pesticides that pose a serious problem are organochlorines, organophosphates and carbamates. While pesticides are associated with many health effects, there is a lack of monitoring data on these contaminants. Traditional chromatographic methods are effective for the analysis of pesticides in the environment, but have limitations and prevent adequate monitoring. Enzymatic methods have been promoted for many years as an alternative method of detection of these pesticides. The main enzymes that have been utilised in this regard have been acetylcholinesterase, butyrylcholinesterase, alkaline phosphatase, organophosphorus hydrolase and tyrosinase. The enzymatic methods are based on the activation or inhibition of the enzyme by a pesticide which is proportional to the concentration of the pesticide. Research on enzymatic methods of detection, as well as some of the problems and challenges associated with these methods, is extensively discussed in this review. These methods can serve as a tool for screening large samples which can be followed up with the more traditional chromatographic methods of analysis.     

Our future in the Anthropocene biosphere

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed an interconnected and tightly coupled globalized world in rapid change. This article sets the scientific stage for understanding and responding to such change for global sustainability and resilient societies. We provide a systemic overview of the current situation where people and nature are dynamically intertwined and embedded in the biosphere, placing shocks and extreme events as part of this dynamic; humanity has become the major force in shaping the future of the Earth system as a whole; and the scale and pace of the human dimension have caused climate change, rapid loss of biodiversity, growing inequalities, and loss of resilience to deal with uncertainty and surprise. Taken together, human actions are challenging the biosphere foundation for a prosperous development of civilizations. The Anthropocene reality—of rising system-wide turbulence—calls for transformative change towards sustainable futures. Emerging technologies, social innovations, broader shifts in cultural repertoires, as well as a diverse portfolio of active stewardship of human actions in support of a resilient biosphere are highlighted as essential parts of such transformations.     

Investigation of the characteristics of the reflectivity of clouds

This paper investigates some of the reflectivity characteristics that clouds (when modelled as solid bodies) must exhibit to be compatible with observations that the reflecting surface of a cloud (i) appears almost equally bright across its face, (ii) is brightest when the cloud is opposite to the Sun but decreases in brightness as the cloud moves to other positions and (iii) increases in brightness with increasing optical thickness of the cloud in the observer's line of sight. These observations, respectively, are shown to imply that the peak value of the bidirectional total reflectivity from a cloud surface (i) increases in inverse proportion to the cosine of the angle between the Sun and the normal to the cloud surface, as the incident angle increases, (ii) appears to be directed back in the direction of the incident radiation, and (iii) increases as optical thickness of the cloud in the observer's line of sight increases. The results could have application in many fields (e.g. modelling diffuse radiance distributions for cloudy skies).     

An alternative for the nitrobenzylpyridine test for the description of the toxicity of alkylating agents

When correlating the biologic activity of alkylating agents with physicochemical parameters, the reaction rate constant of the reaction with 4-(p-nitrobenzyl) pyridine (NBP) is often used as a measure of the compounds chemical reactivity. Since the use of NBP suffers some drawbacks from an experimental point of view, it was decided to develop an alternative test method, using thiourea as a standard nucleophile.Reactivities obtained with both methods for six halogenated alkylating agents are compared, and the usefulness of the new experimental method is discussed.     

Determination of the effect of pentachlorophenol on the bioactivity of soils by the iron-reduction test

Pentachlorophenol, depending on the applied concentration, reduces the activity of some microorganisms, as measured by the iron reduction test. The test is more sensitive, if the procedures reported in literature are modified, including the use of glucose as a source of energy instead of yeast extract.     

Tradeoffs between environmental goals and urban development: the case of nitrogen load from the Stockholm County to the Baltic Sea

Urban dwellers depend on the generation of ecosystem services for their welfare. The city of Stockholm is growing, and a 25% increase in population is projected by 2030. The effects of urban development were estimated through the quantification of nitrogen (N) leakage to the Baltic Sea under two urban development scenarios. We found that total net N load will increase by 6% or 8%, depending on which growth scenario is applied, and population increase by itself will contribute at least 15% of the point source N leakage. Technical improvements in sewage treatment could, according to our results, decrease total N load to the Baltic Sea by 4%. Based on our results, we conclude that proactive measures such as spatial urban planning can provide a constructive tool for sustainable urban development on regional as well as national and international scales, depending on geographical context as well as the ecosystem services' scale of operation.     

Use of the electrical aerosol detector as an indicator of the surface area of fine particles deposited in the lung

Because of recent concerns about the health effects of ultrafine particles and the indication that particle toxicity is related to surface area, we have been examining techniques for measuring parameters related to the surface area of fine particles, especially in the 0.003- to 0.5-microm size range. In an earlier study, we suggested that the charge attached to particles, as measured by a prototype of the Electrical Aerosol Detector (EAD, TSI Inc., Model 3070), was related to the 1.16 power of the mobility diameter. An inspection of the pattern of particle deposition in the lung as a function of particle size suggested that the EAD measurement might be a useful indicator of the surface area of particles deposited in the lung. In this study, we calculate the particle surface area (micrometer squared) deposited in the lung per cubic centimeter of air inhaled as a function of particle size using atmospheric particle size distributions measured in Minneapolis, MN, and East St. Louis, IL. The correlations of powers of the mobility diameter, Dx, were highest for X = 1.1-1.6 for the deposited surface area and for X = 1.25 with the EAD signal. This overlap suggested a correspondence between the EAD signal and the deposited surface area. The correlation coefficients of the EAD signal and particle surface area deposited in the alveolar and tracheobronchial regions of the lung for three breathing patterns are in the range of Pearson's r = 0.91-0.95 (coefficient of determination, R2 = 0.82-0.90). These statistical relationships suggest that the EAD could serve as a useful indicator of particle surface area deposited in the lung in exposure and epidemiologic studies of the human health effects of atmospheric particles and as a measure of the potential surface area dose for the characterization of occupational environments.     

At the Crossroads

ABSTRACT

Modeling transit bus emissions and fuel economy requires a large amount of experimental data over wide ranges of operational conditions. Chassis dynamometer tests are typically performed using representative driving cycles defined based on vehicle instantaneous speed as sequences of “microtrips”, which are intervals between consecutive vehicle stops. Overall significant parameters of the driving cycle, such as average speed, stops per mile, kinetic intensity, and others, are used as independent variables in the modeling process. Performing tests at all the necessary combinations of parameters is expensive and time consuming. In this paper, a methodology is proposed for building driving cycles at prescribed independent variable values using experimental data through the concatenation of “microtrips” isolated from a limited number of standard chassis dynamometer test cycles. The selection of the adequate “microtrips” is achieved through a customized evolutionary algorithm. The genetic representation uses microtrip definitions as genes. Specific mutation, crossover, and karyotype alteration operators have been defined. The Roulette-Wheel selection technique with elitist strategy drives the optimization process, which consists of minimizing the errors to desired overall cycle parameters. This utility is part of the Integrated Bus Information System developed at West Virginia University.

IMPLICATIONS It is expected that the paper will provide a useful tool for modeling and analysis of vehicle fuel economy and emissions and for the design, optimization, and analysis of driving cycles for testing and vehicle fleet management.