Conservation impacts of commercial cultivation of endangered and overharvested plants

Overharvesting is one of the greatest threats to species survival. Farming overharvested species is a conservation strategy that can meet growing market demand and conserve wild populations of the target species. This strategy is compatible with the international community's desire to uphold the right of local communities to use biological resources to support their livelihoods. However, studies investigating whether farming can alleviate poaching pressure have focused almost exclusively on animals. To address the shortfall in plant-focused studies, we compiled information on commercial cultivation of threatened plants to assess its conservation benefits. Because China's rising middle class has rapidly intensified demand for wildlife products, we searched the scientific literature published in Chinese (China National Knowledge Infrastructure and Baidu) and in English. We found 32 reports that contained data on 193 internationally or nationally threatened plant species that were under commercial cultivation. These reports showed that cultivations of 82% of the 193 species were sustained by collecting whole plants from the wild periodically or continuously. Although based on a small sample size, species that were maintained in cultivation only through artificial propagation or seeds collected in the wild were likely associated with a reported reduction in wild harvesting of whole plants. Even so, results of correlation analyses suggested that production system, scale, and when a species began being cultivated had little effect on conservation status of the species, either globally or in China. However, species brought into cultivation relatively recently and on a smaller scale were more likely to have undergone a reduction in collecting pressure. Farming of nonmedicinal plants was most problematic for species conservation because wild plants were laundered (i.e., sold as cultivated plants). For effective conservation, policy to guide cultivation operations based on the target species’ biological characteristics, cultural significance, market demand, and conservation status is needed.     

The use of wastewater in livestock production and its socioeconomic and welfare implications

Although epidemiological studies have found a significant amount of toxins in surface water, a complex link between animals’ access to wastewater and associated animal and human welfare losses needs to be explored. The scarcity of safe water has put stress on the utilization of wastewater for crops and livestock production. The access of animals to wastewater is related to the emergence of dangerous animal’s diseases, hampering productivity, increasing economic losses, and risking human health along the food chain. This review explores use of wastewater for agriculture, epidemiological evidence of microbial contamination in wastewater, and animal and human welfare disruption due to the use of wastewater for crop and livestock production. More specifically, the review delves into animals exposure to wastewater for bathing, drinking, or grazing on a pasture irrigated with contaminated water and related animal and human welfare losses. We included some scientific articles and reviews published from 1970 to 2017 to support our rational discussions. The selected articles dealt exclusively with animals direct access to wastewater via bathing and indirect access via grazing on pasture irrigated with contaminated wastewater and their implication for animal and human welfare losses. The study also identified that some policy options such as wastewater treatments, constructing wastewater stabilization ponds, controlling animal access to wastewater, and dissemination of necessary information to ultimate consumers related to the source of agricultural produce and wastewater use in animal and crop production are required to protect the human and animal health and welfare.     

化工园区安全生产监管存在问题及对策

系统分析了我国现阶段化工园区的基本特点及其安全监管中存在的问题，提出了建立以政府为主导、社会中介机构技术支撑、企业落实一体化的化工园区综合管理体系。实现化：亡园区应急救援资源整合及资源共享，提高化工园区应急救援资源有效利用率。数字化管理对化工园区的整体安全性的提高将发挥巨大的作用。     

Biodegradation of an Epoxy-Based Thermoplastic Polyester, Poly(Hydroxy Ester Ether) in a Laboratory-Scale Compost System

An epoxy-based thermoplastic polyester, poly(hydroxy ester ether), was incubated under aerobic conditions in a laboratory-scale compost system for 168 days to evaluate its potential for biodegradation. Radiolabeled test polymer [uniformly ¹⁴C ring-labeled, poly(hydroxy ester ether)] was incorporated into a mature compost and a sludge-amended compost at a loading of 3 mg test polymer/g compost. ¹⁴C-Cellulose was used as the positive control and a biologically inhibited control reactor was used to assess abiotic degradation of the test polymer. Degradation of the test polymer was assessed by measuring the amount of ¹⁴C-CO₂ from each of the test reactors. In addition, at selected time intervals subsamples of the compost were collected and serially extracted with water, methanol, and dimethylformamide to monitor degradation of the ¹⁴C-test polymer and provide a partial characterization of the degradation intermediates. Extensive degradation of ¹⁴C-poly(hydroxy ester ether) was observed in the test reactors with degradation half-life of the parent polymer (t _1/2) of approximately 32 days. By the end of the study, only 2% of the total ¹⁴C activity in the test reactors was attributed to intact polymer, with most of the measurable ¹⁴C activity converted to either ¹⁴C-CO₂ (26% of total ¹⁴C activity) or nonextractable products (accounting for 60% of the total activity). In contrast to the test reactors, only 3% of the ¹⁴C-poly(hydroxy ester ether) added to the biologically inhibited control reactor was mineralized to ¹⁴C-CO₂. The results obtained from the microbially active and biologically inhibited compost systems indicate that the poly(hydroxy ester ether) polymer was degraded, at least in part, by a biologically mediated process.     

氰戊菊酯和锐劲特对原生动物群落的联合毒性试验研究

氰戊菊酯和锐劲特两种农药被广泛用于茶树、果树、水稻、蔬菜等的病虫害防治,它们同时出现在同一环境中的机会非常多,但有关两种农药对生态系统的复合毒性效应却未见有研究报道.与单种生物毒性试验相比,群落级生物毒性试验对毒物胁迫的反映更具环境真实性.以PFU在天然淡水中采集到的原生动物群落为靶生物,研究了氰戊菊酯和锐劲特2种农药对淡水原生动物群落的毒性效应,对于水生生态环境的保护有特殊的意义.研究结果表明,2种农药单独存在时对原生动物群落的48h半数致死浓度分别为15 93mg·L-1和35 83mg·L-1;2种物质以等毒性比(单一LC50的比值)混和,进行联合毒性试验研究,用Marking相加指数法进行评价,其AI值为0 9,表现为协同作用.氰戊菊酯和锐劲特进入水环境后,将使水环境中原生动物群落的结构和组成发生变化,原生动物种类数减少,群落结构变得简单.在所有种类中,纤毛虫受损最大,水生生态系统的物质循环和能量流动将会受到一定程度的影响.     

Thermal and Rheological Properties of Commercial-Grade Poly(Lactic Acid)s

Poly(lactic acid) is the subject of considerable commercial development by a variety of organizations around the world. In this work, the thermal and rheological properties of two commercial-grade poly(lactic acid)s (PLAs) are investigated. A comparison of the commercial samples to a series of well-defined linear and star architecture PLAs provides considerable insight into their flow properties. Such insights are valuable in deciding processing strategies for these newly emerging, commercially significant, biodegradable plastics. Both a branched and linear grade of PLA are investigated. The crystallization kinetics of the branched polymer are inferred to be faster than the linear analog. Longer relaxation times in the terminal region for the branched material compared to the linear material manifests itself as a higher zero shear rate viscosity. However, the branched material shear thins more strongly, resulting in a lower value of viscosity at high shear rates. Comparison of the linear viscoelastic spectra of the branched material with the spectra for star PLAs suggests that the branched architecture is characterized by a span molecular weight of approximately 63,000 g/mol. The present study conclusively demonstrates that a wide spectrum of flow properties are available through simple architectural modification of PLA, thus allowing the utilization of this important degradable thermoplastic in a variety of processing operations.     

苯酚降解菌的筛选及其降解性能研究

苯酚是造纸、塑料、农药、医药合成等行业生产的原料或中间体。随着经济的发展,未经处理的含酚废水对人类的生存环境已经造成了严重的威胁。利用微生物降解的方法处理含酚废水是一种经济有效且无二次污染的方法。论文通过从被苯酚废水污染的污泥和污水中进行筛选细菌,得到11株耐受菌和降酚菌,在以苯酚为单碳源的培养上筛选降酚菌,通过药物培养得到7株高效降解酚菌。选择8号菌为研究菌种,进一步测定苯酚降解的影响因素。考察了温度、pH值、苯酚初始浓度、接种量对苯酚降解的影响。得出该菌的最适温度为30℃,最适降酚pH为8.0～9．0,最适初始苯酚浓度为200—240mg/L,最适接菌量为10％～15％。通过对8号菌降解苯酚的应用价值进行研究,得出8号菌的苯酚降解率可达到90．01％,耐酚浓度可达1．6g/L。     

Distribution of methylsiloxanes in benthic mollusks from the Chinese Bohai Sea

Methylsiloxanes are a class of silicone compounds that have been widely used in various industrial processes and personal care products for several decades. This study investigated the spatial distribution of three cyclic methylsiloxanes (D4–D6) and twelve linear methylsiloxanes (L5–L16) in mollusks collected from seven cities along the Bohai Sea. D4–D6 (df?=?71%–81%) and L8–L16 (df?=?32%–40%) were frequently detectable in the mollusk samples, while L5–L7 were not found in any mollusk samples. Cyclic methylsiloxanes (D4–D6) were found in mollusks with the mean concentrations of 15.7?±?12.3?ng/g ww for D4, 24.6?±?15.8?ng/g ww for D5 and 34.0?±?23.0?ng/g ww for D6. Among the seven sampling cities, the cyclic methylsiloxanes were predominant in mollusks, with the total cyclic methylsiloxanes (sum of D4–D6, ∑ CMS) accounting for 74.2%–80.7% of the total methylsiloxanes. ∑ CMS along the coastline demonstrated a clear gradient, with the highest concentrations in mollusks at the sampling sites located in the western part of the Bohai Sea and the lowest concentrations in mollusks from cities located in the eastern part of the Bohai Sea. The biota-sediment accumulation factors for cyclic methylsiloxanes (D4–D6) and linear methylsiloxanes (L8–L16) were estimated as 0.42?±?0.06–0.53?±?0.06 and 0.13?±?0.03–0.19?±?0.05, respectively.     

泰安市城市污泥集中处置的可行性探讨

近年来,随着中国污水处理设施的普及、处理率的提高和处理程度的深化,污水处理厂的污泥产生量将有较大的增长,由污泥引起的二次污染问题已不容忽视。如何合理地处理、处置污水处理厂污泥已成为相关部门必须引起重视的问题。本文对污水处理厂污泥的传统处理存在的问题,进行了系统的分析和研究,并根据泰安市城市污水处理厂污泥运行现状就泰安市污泥以干化的方式集中处置的可行性进行了技术分析和探讨,并分析了今后污泥处置的发展趋势。     

环境剂量磷酸三(1,3-二氯异丙基)酯多代暴露对斑马鱼子代仔鱼的神经发育毒性

为探究环境剂量磷酸三(1,3-二氯异丙基)酯(TDCIPP)多代暴露对生物体的影响,选取斑马鱼为模型,研究了斑马鱼暴露于0、3、30和300 ng·L~(-1)TDCIPP至3代后,对每一代子代5 dpf仔鱼神经发育的毒性效应。研究结果表明,F0代暴露于300ng·L~(-1)TDCIPP 120 d后所产F1代仔鱼的孵化率显著性下降,存活率显著性降低;但对F2代和F3代仔鱼的这些终点指标均无显著性影响。运动行为结果表明,F0代暴露于3和300 ng·L~(-1)TDCIPP 120 d会导致F1代仔鱼在光暗周期刺激下的游泳速度受到抑制,并伴随着神经元发育基因(ngn1)以及轴突生长标志基因(α1-tubulin、netrin1b和zn5)的显著性上调,相关性分析表明,游泳速度的抑制与ngn1、α1-tubulin和zn5这3个基因的表达显著相关。但对F2代仔鱼,仅300 ng·L~(-1)TDCIPP导致其游泳速度在黑暗刺激下显著性下降,且导致神经发育和再生相关基因(elavl3、gap43、gfap和shha)表达量显著性下降,但游泳速度的下降与基因表达无显著相关性。继续暴露至F3代仔鱼时,TDCIPP暴露对运动行为不再有显著影响。研究表明,环境剂量TDCIPP多代暴露对子代仔鱼具有神经发育毒性,表现为运动行为受损和神经发育相关基因表达量的改变,但毒性效应随着暴露代数的增加而减弱。