Effects of vermiculite on the growth process of submerged macrophyte Vallisneria spiralis and sediment microecological environment

Ecological restoration is one of the hot technologies for the reconstruction of eutrophic lake ecosystems in which the restoration and propagation of submerged plants is the key and difficult step. In this paper, the effect of vermiculite on the growth process of Vallisneria spiralis and sediment microenvironment were investigated, aiming to provide a theoretical basis for the application of vermiculite in aquatic ecological restoration. Results of growth indexes demonstrated that 5% and 10% vermiculite treatment groups statistically promote the growth of Vallisneria spiralis compared to the control. Meanwhile, the results of ecophysiological indexes showed that photosynthetic pigment, soluble sugar content, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) activity of 5% and 10% group were increased compared with the control while the malondialdehyde (MDA) content exhibited the opposite result (p < 0.05), which illustrated that vermiculite can improve the resistance of plants and delay the aging process of Vallisneria spiralis. In addition, result of PCA (Principal Component Analysis) demonstrated 5% and 10% group has improved the sediment physical conditions and create more ecological niche for microorganisms directly, and then promoted the growth of plants. The dissolution results showed that vermiculite can dissolve the constant and trace elements needed for plant growth. Furthermore, the addition of vermiculite increased the diversity of microorganisms in the sediments, and promoted the increase of plant growth-promoting bacteria and phosphorus-degrading bacteria. This study could provide a technique reference for the further application of vermiculite in the field of ecological restoration.     

Assessment of health benefit of PM2.5 reduction during COVID-19 lockdown in China and separating contributions from anthropogenic emissions and meteorology

The national lockdown policies have drastically disrupted socioeconomic activities during the COVID-19 pandemic in China, which provides a unique opportunity to investigate the air quality response to such anthropogenic disruptions. And it is meaningful to evaluate the potential health impacts of air quality changes during the lockdown, especially for PM_2.5 with adverse health effects. In this study, by using PM_2.5 observations from 1388 monitoring stations nationwide in China, we examine the PM_2.5 variations between the COVID-19 lockdown (February and March in 2020) and the same period in 2015–2019, and find that the national average of PM_2.5 decreases by 18 μg/m³, and mean PM_2.5 for most sites (about 75%) decrease by 30%–60%. The anthropogenic and meteorological contributions to these PM_2.5 variations are also determined by using a stepwise multiple linear regression (MLR) model combined with the Kolmogorov–Zurbenko filter. Our results show that the change of anthropogenic emissions is a leading contributor to those widespread PM_2.5 reductions, and meteorological conditions have the negative influence on PM_2.5 reductions for some regions, such as Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH). Additionally, the avoided premature death due to PM_2.5 reduction is estimated as a predicted number based on a log-linear concentration-response function. The total avoided premature death is 9952 in China, with dominant contribution (94%) from anthropogenic emission changes. For BTH, Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta and Hubei regions, the reductions of PM_2.5 are 24.1, 24.3, 13.5 and 29.5 μg/m³, with the avoided premature deaths of 1066, 1963, 454 and 583, respectively.     

Competing pathways of cresol formation in toluene photooxidation: OH-toluene adducts react with NO2 or with O2?

Methyl-hydroxy-cyclohexadienyl radicals (OTAs) are the key products of the photooxidation of toluene, with implications for the fate of toluene. Hence, we investigated the photooxidation mechanisms and kinetics of three main OTAs (o-OTA, m-OTA, and p-OTA) with NO₂ using quantum chemical calculations as well as the fate of OTAs under the different concentration ratios of NO₂ and O₂. The mechanism results show that the pathway of H-abstraction by NO₂ to anti-HONO (anti-H-abstraction) is more favorable than the syn-H-abstraction pathway, because the strong interaction between OTAs and NO₂ is formed in the transition states of the anti-H-abstraction pathways. The branching ratios of the anti-H-abstraction pathways are more than 99% in the temperature range of 216−298 K. The total rate constant of the OTA-NO₂ reaction is 9.9 × 10⁻¹² cm³/(molecule∙sec) at 298 K, which is contributed about 90% by o-OTA + NO₂, and the main products are o-cresol and anti-HONO. The half-lives of the OTA-NO₂ reaction in some polluted areas of China are 35 times longer than those of the OTA-O₂ reaction. In the atmosphere, the NO₂- and O₂- initiated reactions of OTAs have the same ability to form cresols as [NO₂] is up to 142.1 ppmV, which is impossible to achieve. It implies that under the experimental condition, the [NO₂]/[O₂] should be controlled to be less than 7.8 × 10⁻⁵ to simulate real atmospheric oxidation of toluene. Our results reveal that for the photooxidation of toluene, the yield of cresol is not affected by the concentration of NO₂ under the atmospheric environment.     

Response of PM2.5-bound elemental species to emission variations and associated health risk assessment during the COVID-19 pandemic in a coastal megacity

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is disrupting the world from many aspects. In this study, the impact of emission variations on PM_2.5-bound elemental species and health risks associated to inhalation exposure has been analyzed based on real-time measurements at a remote coastal site in Shanghai during the pandemic. Most trace elemental species decreased significantly and displayed almost no diel peaks during the lockdown. After the lockdown, they rebounded rapidly, of which V and Ni even exceeded the levels before the lockdown, suggesting the recovery of both inland and shipping activities. Five sources were identified based on receptor modeling. Coal combustion accounted for more than 70% of the measured elemental concentrations before and during the lockdown. Shipping emissions, fugitive/mineral dust, and waste incineration all showed elevated contributions after the lockdown. The total non-carcinogenic risk (HQ) for the target elements exceeded the risk threshold for both children and adults with chloride as the predominant species contributing to HQ. Whereas, the total carcinogenic risk (TR) for adults was above the acceptable level and much higher than that for children. Waste incineration was the largest contributor to HQ, while manufacture processing and coal combustion were the main sources of TR. Lockdown control measures were beneficial for lowering the carcinogenic risk while unexpectedly increased the non-carcinogenic risk. From the perspective of health effects, priorities of control measures should be given to waste incineration, manufacture processing, and coal combustion. A balanced way should be reached between both lowering the levels of air pollutants and their health risks.     

The Stakeholder Preference for Best Management Practices in the Three Gorges Reservoir Region

A qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews with 92 farmers and 42 policy managers in Wuxi County, the Three Gorges Reservoir Region, was conducted to identify stakeholder preferences for alternative best management practices (BMPs) and to determine the factors that affect their acceptance. Policy manager support for most of the practices was relatively stronger than support by farmers, except for the grade stabilization structure (GSS), hillside ditch (HD) and constructed wetland alternative, owing to their perceptions of soil benefits, economic advantages and environmental advantages. Farmers opposed those practices that occupied cultivated lands or changed the conventional planting methods, such as field border, conservation tillage (CT) and contour buffer strips. They tended to accept the BMPs with off-farm pollution reduction, such as GSS, riparian forest buffer and HD, and the BMPs associated with soil benefits, such as nutrient management and Terrace. The result that almost all respondents did not accept CT differed from reports in the existing literature. There is a significant correlation between the acceptance of some BMPs and the townships where the farmers lived (P ≤ 0.05). The environmental conditions and social factors would affect farmer support for BMPs, including local soil conditions, farming methods, economic income, education level and age. The economic advantages of the BMPs were the main motivation for farmers to accept the practices. Furthermore, intensive education efforts, financial incentives or economic subsidies may promote the adoption of the BMPs in our study area.     

基于多旋翼无人机平台的大气PM2.5垂直结构观测技术

目的设计可用于大气边界层范围的大气污染观测平台。方法使用多旋翼无人机作为载体,集成多种大气污染物和气象要素的便携式检测设备,组建无人机观测平台。通过地面比对实验,保障所搭载的设备数据可靠,通过与大载荷系留气艇平台的垂直比对实验验证平台集成后的数据可靠性。结果对于重点观测指标PM_(2.5)而言,无人机和系留气艇所获取的垂直廓线表现出良好的一致性,各个航次的R2最低值为0.762,多数航次的组内相关系数为0.94以上。在2017年12月18日的案例中,无人机的观测数据表明,早上的大气垂直结构呈现了明显分层,0～200 m高度较为稳定的大气层结阻碍了污染物向上扩散,导致了近地面PM_(2.5)80μg/m~3的较高浓度,而下午的观测数据有助于解释污染消散。结论文中搭建的多旋翼无人机平台可以用于0～1000 m范围内的边界层观测,尽管个别航次数据和系留气艇平台仍存在差异,但现有观测结果已表明,该平台有助于研究人员了解污染事件的发生和消散,可以进一步推广应用。     

结合激光雷达观测与模式模拟的雾霾区域传输分析

以一次2015年1月3日至5日发生在中国中东部地区的严重雾霾事件为例,综合地基微脉冲激光雷达观测和WRF-Chem模式模拟的方法,揭示雾霾事件过程中的气溶胶颗粒物的跨区域传输特征。研究表明,徐州站点的激光雷达探测到1～3 km的外来颗粒物输入,在两次输入过程中,对当地总的气溶胶光学厚度贡献分别为43%和69%。WRF-Chem模式能够有效模拟预报PM_(2.5)浓度,但实测浓度为高值的区域出现低估现象。徐州地区在冬季易受来自山东西部、河南东部以及安徽北部的污染物的影响而引发雾霾,该区域需加强协作、联防联控。近年来我国冬季高空的风向具有规律性,且风速在逐年加快,雾霾从华北地区向华东地区的传输可能将变成常态。     

淮河流域(河南段)水质时空变化特征及其与土地利用类型的关系

水质的定量评估有利于地方政府制定和实施水污染防治政策.为研究近期淮河流域行政区划尺度上水质的时空变化特征及其受土地利用类型的影响,以淮河流域（河南段）为研究区,根据2009-2017年31个水质站点的水质周测浓度,结合土地利用遥感监测数据,利用季节性Mann-Kendall趋势检验法及Spearman相关分析法,对ρ（COD_Cr）、ρ（NH₄+-N）和ρ（TP）的时空变化特征及其与土地利用类型的相关性进行分析.结果表明:①在时间上,ρ（COD_Cr）、ρ（NH₄+-N）和ρ（TP）在大部分地区呈下降趋势,但各水质指标依然较高,ρ（COD_Cr）和ρ（TP）在丰水期略高于枯水期,ρ（NH₄+-N）在枯水期高于丰水期.②在空间上,水污染比较严重的有沱河、浍河、惠济河、涡河、贾鲁河、清潩河、颍河中游、黑茨河、汾泉河和洪汝河,大部分站点为GB 3838-2002《地表水环境质量标准》Ⅳ类或Ⅴ类水质,部分站点甚至属于GB 3838-2002劣Ⅴ类水质;而颍河上游、北汝河、沙河、淮河干流及史灌河的水质较好,基本属于GB 3838-2002Ⅰ类或Ⅱ类水质.③土地利用类型与水质之间的相关性表现为ρ（COD_Cr）、ρ（NH₄+-N）、ρ（TP）与旱地和城镇面积占比均呈正相关,与林地、草地和荒地面积占比均呈负相关,与水域面积占比也呈负相关但不显著.研究显示,淮河流域（河南段）水质有所改善,但部分地区水污染问题仍然比较严重,旱地与城镇用地是造成研究区水污染的主要原因,林地、草地、荒地和水域能够缓解水污染.