Estimating fugitive dust emission rates using an environmental boundary layer wind tunnel

Emissions from fugitive dust due to erosion of “natural” wind-blown surfaces are an increasingly important part of PM₁₀ (particulate matter with sizes of 10 μm aerodynamic diameter) emission inventories. These inventories are particularly important to State Implementation Plans (SIP), the plan required for each state to file with the Federal government indicating how they will comply with the Federal Clean Air Act (FCAA). However, techniques for determining the fugitive dust contribution to over all PM₁₀ emissions are still in their developmental stages. In the past, the methods have included field monitoring stations, specialized field studies and field wind-tunnel studies. The measurements made in this paper allow for systematic determination of PM₁₀ emission rates through the use of an environmental boundary layer wind tunnel in the laboratory. Near surface steady-state concentration profiles and velocity profiles are obtained in order to use a control volume approach to estimate emission rates. This methodology is applied to soils retrieved from the nation's single largest PM₁₀ source, Owens (dry) Lake in California, to estimate emission rates during active storm periods. The estimated emission rates are comparable to those obtained from field studies and lend to the validity of this method for determining fugitive dust emission rates.     

玉米自交系氮效率基因型差异的比较研究

采用溶液培养的方法。选用经田间，土壤试验对N反应有典型差异的玉米自交系478，H21，Wu312,Zong31,Baici，在4个供氮水平下（0.04,0.4,2和4nmol/L)，研究了不同基因型玉米苗期氮素吸收，利用的差异及其原因，结果表明：极低N胁迫条件下（０.04mmol/L),总干重的基因型差异是由根系，地上部的共同作用的结果，高N下，总干重是由地上部的差异所决定的（表1），极低供N条件下，4578的总干重最大，且有较高的氮效率，Wu312,Zong31相对较低，478相对较高的氮效率主要来源于吸收效率的差异。该基因型在低N下总吸氮量最高，H21居中，Baici,Zong31相对较低，478相对较高的氮效率主要来源于吸收效率的差异。该基因型在低N下总吸氮量最高，H21居中，Baici,Zong31,Wu312相对较低（图1），吸收效率的差异主要是由于根系全N量的不同所致（图3），而根系全N量的差异主要是由于根系大小不同（表1），在极低氮水平下，不同基因型玉米根系全氮量的变幅比地上部高出28.1%，高N下（4mmol/L)，全N量的变幅比地上部高出15.4%(图2，图3），在0.04mmol/L下，478与Wu312,Zong31的利用效率不存在显著差异（表2）。     

The highs and lows of chemical communication in giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca): effect of scent deposition height on signal discrimination

The giant panda's (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) social system is not well known, but it is clear that competition and avoidance characterizes social interaction for this solitary species throughout most of the year. Chemical communication appears to play a major role in structuring these interactions. Pandas adopt four distinct marking postures that deposit anogenital gland secretions or urine at varying heights: squat, reverse, legcock and handstand. In this experiment we tested the behavioral responses of 28 captive pandas belonging to all age-sex groups to conspecific odors placed to mimic the height of these postures. We tested three odor stimuli: male urine, and male and female glandular secretions. In all cases, pandas spent more time investigating higher odors than lower odors, suggesting that pandas place more importance on gathering information about individuals that adopt elevated postures. Pandas, particularly subadult males, also showed evidence of avoiding areas where adult male urine was deposited to mimic the handstand posture. Based on these and other findings, we propose that elevated postures in pandas may function to communicate competitive ability and possibly aggressive intent. Height of odor deposition, especially in the handstand posture, may be associated with body size, a major determinant of competitive ability. Selection may favor signalers that capitalize on the assessment activities of assessors by depositing scents to emphasize height cues. If such signals of competitive ability are used to mediate aggressive interactions, subsequent selection may favor their use only when the signaler is prepared to escalate in a contest.     

A framework for predicting personal exposures to environmental hazards

This paper presents a general framework for constructing a predictive distribution of the exposure to an environmental hazard sustained by a randomly selected member of a designated population. The individual’s exposure is assumed to arise from random movement through the environment, resulting in a distribution of exposure that can be used for environmental risk analysis. A specialization of the general framework is that of predicting human exposure to air pollution that can be used to develop models for such things as exposure to particulate matter; practical aspects of their construction are considered. These models can help answer questions such as what fraction of the population sustained ‘high’ levels of exposure for say 5 days in a row. The immediate implementation of the above framework takes the form of a computing platform referred to as pCNEM. This provides a facility for simulating exposures to airborne pollutants and is described in detail elsewhere. This paper considers some theoretical aspects underpinning probabilistic exposure models of this type, with the ideas illustrated in developing a model for predicting human exposure to PM ₁₀.     

Mitochondrial DNA analyses of the red rock lobsterJasus edwardsii supports an apparent absence of population subdivision throughout Australasia

Nucleotide sequence polymorphism in the mitochondrial genomes of 132 adult lobsters (Jasus edwardsil) collected from widespread locales across southern Australia and from New Zealand (April 1989 to June 1990) was assayed, using six restriction endonucleases, to test the hypothesis of a lack of genetic subdivision in a marine species with a long-lived planktonic larva. The mean amount of mtDNA diversity among the 132 mitochondrial genomes was 0.77%. Phenetic clustering and gene-diversity analyses, as well as pairwise comparison of the genetics of specimens from each, or grouped, locales did not detect the presence of genetic subdivision across approx 4600 km of Southern Ocean habitats. The inability of this study to detect population subdivision does not preclude fortutitous, active or habitat-specific larval settlement from producing and maintaining hidden groupings. If genetic homogeneity is maintained in this species by larval dispersal in ocean currents flowing to the east, then westerly populations may deserve special conservation status.     

Representing the Connectivity of Upland Areas to Floodplains and Streams in SWAT+

In recent years, watershed modelers have put increasing emphasis on capturing the interaction of landscape hydrologic processes instead of focusing on streamflow at the watershed outlet alone. Understanding the hydrologic connectivity between landscape elements is important to explain the hydrologic response of a watershed to rainfall events. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool+ (SWAT+) is a new version of SWAT with improved runoff routing capabilities. Subbasins may be divided into landscape units (LSUs), e.g., upland areas and floodplains, and flow can be routed between these LSUs. We ran three scenarios representing different extents of connectivity between uplands, floodplains, and streams. In the first and second scenarios, the ratio of channelized flow from the upland to the stream and sheet flow from the upland to the floodplain was 70/30 and 30/70, respectively, for all upland/floodplain pairs. In the third scenario, the ratio was calculated for each upland/floodplain pair based on the upland/floodplain area ratio. Results indicate differences in streamflow were small, but the relative importance of flow components and upland areas and floodplains as sources of surface runoff changed. Also, the soil moisture in the floodplains was impacted. The third scenario was found to provide more realistic results than the other two. A realistic representation of connectivity in watershed models has important implications for the identification of pollution sources and sinks.     

Characterization of a new smog chamber for evaluating SAPRC gas-phase chemical mechanism

A new state-of-the-art indoor smog chamber facility (CAPS-ZJU) has been constructed and characterized at Zhejiang University, which is designed for chemical mechanism evaluation under well-controlled conditions. A series of characterization experiments were performed to validate the well-established experimental protocols, including temperature variation pattern, light spectrum and equivalent intensity (J_NO2), injection and mixing performance, as well as gases and particle wall loss. In addition, based on some characterization experiments, the auxiliary wall mechanism has been setup and examined. Fifty chamber experiments were performed across a broad range of experimental scenarios, and we demonstrated the ability to utilize these chamber data for evaluating SAPRC chemical mechanism. It was found that the SAPRC-11 can well predict the O₃ formation and NO oxidation for almost all propene runs, with 6 hr Δ(O₃ – NO) model error of –3% ± 7%, while the final O₃ was underestimated by ~20% for isoprene experiments. As for toluene and p-xylene experiments, it was confirmed that SAPRC-11 has significant improvement on aromatic chemistry than earlier version of SAPRC-07, although the aromatic decay rate was still underestimated to some extent. The model sensitivity test has been carried out, and the most sensitive parameters identified are the initial concentrations of reactants and the light intensity as well as HONO offgasing rate and O₃ wall loss rate. All of which demonstrated that CAPS-ZJU smog chamber could derive high quality experimental data, and could provide insights on chamber studies and chemical mechanism development.     

喀斯特地区丛枝菌根真菌多样性研究进展

丛枝菌根真菌（Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi,AM真菌）在喀斯特地区生态修复中具有潜在的可利用性,关于喀斯特地区AM真菌多样性以及生态功能的研究已成为近年来的热点问题。本文归纳了喀斯特地区分离出的AM真菌名录,旨在为喀斯特高效生态修复菌种筛选提供支撑材料。综述了喀斯特地区土壤石灰性、营养物质匮乏、空间异质性强,植被逆向演替、植物种类多样等特点对喀斯特地区AM真菌多样性的影响规律,总结了AM真菌对于喀斯特地区土壤结构、营养元素循环、植物抗旱性、植物个体养分吸收、植被演替方面的生理生态功能及作用机理,以期为喀斯特地区AM真菌适生性研究、AM真菌潜在生态功能有效利用、AM真菌-植物共生体系筛选与培育等环节做出指引,为菌根技术在喀斯特生态修复中的应用提供理论基础。未来的研究应进一步深入探究AM真菌多样性影响机制,探讨AM真菌与植物适生性之间的关系,以及加强AM真菌-植物共生体系筛选与培育。     

18650型锂离子电池燃烧特性及火灾危险性评估

为评估18650型锂离子电池的火灾危险性,以3种不同品牌的商品三元18650型锂离子电池为研究对象,采用锥形量热仪在不同辐射热和荷电状态下对3种电池进行了燃烧试验,分析了电池的热释放参数、烟参数、毒性参数和质量损失参数。并在试验的基础上构建了锂离子电池火灾危险性综合评估指标体系,计算了这3种电池在辐射热35kW/m^2及品牌1的18650型锂离子电池在25 kW/m^2条件下的火灾危险指数。结果表明:电池的热参数和毒性参数随电池荷电状态(SOC)和辐射热增大而增大,满电状态下的品牌1电池在辐射热为50 kW/m^2、35 kW/m^2和25 kW/m^2时的热释放速率峰值分别为9.23 kW、8.64 kW和6.26 kW;生烟量随电池SOC和辐射热增大而减小;综合评估得出了3种电池的火灾危险性。