How does population structure affect pollutant discharge in China? Evidence from an improved STIRPAT model

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - China is the most populous country in the world, and the pollution caused by the excessive population should not be underestimated. In recent years,...     

Difference in the net value of ecological services between natural and artificial forests in China

Land degradation is a global problem that seriously threatens human society. However, in China and elsewhere, ecological restoration still largely relies on a traditional approach that focuses only on ecological factors and ignores socioeconomic factors. To improve the effectiveness of ecological restoration and maximize its economic and ecological benefits, a more efficient approach is needed that provides support for policy development and land management and thereby promotes environmental conservation. We devised a framework for assessing the value of ecosystem services that remain after subtracting costs, such as the opportunity costs, costs of forest protection, and costs for the people who are affected by the program; that is, the net value of ecosystem services (NVES). To understand the difference between the value of a resource and the net value of the ecosystem service it provides, we used data on VES, timber sales, and afforestation costs from China's massive national afforestation programs to calculate the net value of forest ecosystem services in China. Accounting for the abovementioned costs revealed an NVES of ¥6.1 × 10¹² for forests in 2014, which was 35.9% less than the value calculated without accounting for costs. As a result, the NVES associated with afforestation was 55.9% less than the NVES of natural forests. In some regions, NVES was negative because of the huge costs of human-made plantations, high evapotranspiration rates (thus, high water opportunity costs), and low forest survival rates. To maximize the ecological benefits of conservation, it is necessary to account for as many costs as possible so that management decisions can be based on NVES, thereby helping managers choose projects that maximize both economic and ecological benefits.     

A fragment constant QSAR model for evaluating the EC50 values of organic chemicals to Daphnia magna.

The quantitative relationship between the median effective concentration (EC50) of organic chemicals to Daphnia magna and the number of molecular fragments was investigated based on experimental EC50 values for 217 chemicals derived from the literature. A fragment constant model was developed based on a multivariate linear regression between the number of fragments and the logarithmically transformed reciprocal values of EC50. Functional correction factors were introduced into the model. The model was verified using an independent set of randomly selected data. The mean residual of the final model was 0.4 log-units. The robustness of the model was discussed based on the results of three jackknife tests.     

不同来源土样胶体对氯霉素吸附行为的影响

选取不同来源沉积物或土壤样品（沉积物A1和A2,天然土壤B1和B2,市售营养土B3）,采用切向超滤与多种纳米分析技术相结合的方法,分析了不同土样中胶体的理化特征及其对氯霉素（CAP）吸附行为的影响.荧光区域积分法结果显示,土样胶体的荧光组分以色氨酸类蛋白质、类富里酸和类腐殖酸为主,络氨酸类蛋白质和溶解性微生物代谢物质存在较少.吸附实验结果表明,B3胶体对CAP的吸附率最大（36.25%）,在胶体浓缩液和超滤液中的分配比例最高（1.91）,但其有机碳归一化结合系数最低（3.93）.与天然土壤相比,河湖沉积物胶体的吸附率较高,但其与CAP的结合能力却较低.冗余分析结果表明,胶体对CAP的吸附主要与其芳香度、有色溶解性有机质丰度、溶解性有机碳浓度及分子量有关;此外,胶体的腐殖化程度、芳环上羧基、羰基等官能团的比重及荧光物质中溶解性微生物代谢产物和类腐殖酸对CAP的吸附行为也具有较大影响.     

铁锰复合氧化物滤料去除地下水中四环素的效能

以化学挂膜成熟运行5a的铁锰复合氧化物滤料为研究对象,利用静态与连续流柱实验相结合的方式,探究了该滤料去除四环素的效果与机理.结果表明,去除过程符合准二级反应动力学模型;且滤料质量越大,初始浓度越高,对四环素去除的效果越好;当水中共存阳离子浓度为0.01mol/L时,Mg²⁺抑制四环素的去除,而Ca²⁺、K⁺对四环素的去除过程无显著影响.连续流柱实验与发光细菌毒性检测分析,表明,铁锰氧化物滤料对四环素去除效果显著高于石英砂,且铁锰复合氧化物滤料去除四环素后急性毒性降低.此外,机理探究实验结果证实了铁锰复合氧化物滤料去除四环素是吸附与氧化的过程.     

An investigation of changes in water quality throughout the drinking water production/distribution chain using toxicological and fluorescence analyses

Changes in water quality from source water to finished water and tap water at two conventional drinking water treatment plants(DWTPs) were monitored.Beside the routine water quality testing,Caenorhabditis elegans-based toxicity assays and the fluorescence excitation–emission matrices technique were also applied.Both DWTPs supplied drinking water that met government standards.Under current test conditions,both the investigated finished water and tap water samples exhibited stronger lethal,genotoxic and reprotoxic potential than the relative source water sample,and the tap water sample was more lethal but tended to be less genotoxic than the corresponding finished water sample.Meanwhile,the nearly complete removal of tryptophan-like substances and newly generated tyrosine-like substances were observed after the treatment of drinking water,and humic-like substances were identified in the tap water.Based on these findings,toxic pollutants,including genotoxic/reproductive toxicants,are produced in the drinking water treatment and/or distribution processes.Moreover,further studies are needed to clarify the potentially important roles of tyrosine-like and humic-like substances in mediating drinking water toxicity and to identify the potential sources of these contaminants.Additionally,tryptophan-like fluorescence may be adopted as a useful parameter to monitor the treatment performance of DWTPs.Our observations provided insights into the importance of utilizing biotoxicity assays and fluorescence spectroscopy as tools to complement the routine evaluation of drinking water.     

Advanced molecular-fingerprinting analysis of dissolved organic sulfur by electrospray ionization-Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry using optimal spray solvent

Molecular level characterization of dissolved organic sulfur (DOS) by electrospray ionization-Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (ESI-FTICR MS) is necessary for further understanding of the role of DOS in the environment. Here, ESI spray solvent, a key parameter for ion production during ESI process, was investigated for its effect on the molecular characterization of DOS by ESI-FTICR MS. 100% MeOH as spray solvent was found for the first time to remarkably enhance the ionization efficiency of the majority of CHOS-molecules in NOM, which facilitated a total of 1473 CHOS-molecular formulas with one sulfur atom to be detected. The number of CHOS-molecular formulas obtained using 100%MeOH as spray solvent increased notably over 740 in comparison with those using 50% MeOH aqueous solution (731) or 50% ACN aqueous solution (653). Moreover, due to the enhancement of ionization efficiency of DOS during ESI processes, the tandem mass spectra of the NOM CHOS-molecules could be easily obtained using 100% MeOH as spray solvent, which were hardly obtained using 50% MeOH aqueous solution as spray solvent. The results of the tandem mass spectra suggested the first discovery of organosulfates or sulfonic acids in Suwannee River NOM sample. A simple method based on 100% MeOH as ESI spray solvent for advanced molecular characterization of DOS by ESI-FTICR MS was proposed and applied, and the results revealed more molecular information of DOS in sea DOM samples.     

Seasonal variation and size distribution of biogenic secondary organic aerosols at urban and continental background sites of China

Size-resolved biogenic secondary organic aerosols(BSOA) derived from isoprene and monoterpene photooxidation in Qinghai Lake, Tibetan Plateau(a continental background site) and five cities of China were measured using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry(GC/MS). Concentrations of the determined BSOA are higher in the cities than in the background and are also higher in summer than in winter. Moreover, strong positive correlations(R2= 0.44–0.90) between BSOA and sulfate were found at the six sites,suggesting that anthropogenic pollution(i.e., sulfate) could enhance SOA formation,because sulfate provides a surface favorable for acid-catalyzed formation of BSOA. Size distribution measurements showed that most of the determined SOA tracers are enriched in the fine mode( 3.3 μm) except for cis-pinic and cis-pinonic acids, both presented a comparable mass in the fine and coarse( 3.3 μm) modes, respectively. Mass ratio of oxidation products derived from isoprene to those from monoterpene in the five urban regions during summer are much less than those in Qinghai Lake region. In addition, in the five urban regions relative abundances of monoterpene oxidation products to SOA are much higher than those of isoprene. Such phenomena suggest that BSOA derived from monoterpenes are more abundant than those from isoprene in Chinese urban areas.