Highlights and new Editorial Advisory Board members of the Journal of Environmental Sciences

正The Journal of Environmental Sciences(JES)is honored to welcome Professors/Drs William A.Mitch,Jiuhui Qu,Susan D.Richardson,Jerald L.Schnoor,Hongxiao Tang,Shu Tao,and Hugh A.Tilson to serve on the Editorial Advisory Board(EAB).Their tremendous experience in scientific publications,leading expertise in topic areas pertinent to JES,diverse international networks/perspectives,and exemplary dedication to scientific excellence will guide and help the continuing healthy growth of JES.     

Fate and transport of the β-adrenergic agonist ractopamine hydrochloride in soil–water systems

The feed additive ractopamine hydrochloride was fortified at four concentrations into batch vials containing soils that differed in both biological activity and organic matter(OM).Sampling of the liquid layer for 14 days demonstrated that ractopamine rapidly dissipated from the liquid layer. Less than 20% of the fortified dose remained in the liquid layer after 4 hr,and recoveries of dosed ractopamine ranged from 8 to 18% in the liquid layer at 336 hr. Sorption to soil was the major fate for ractopamine in soil:water systems, i.e., 42%–51% of the dose at14 days. The major portion of the sorbed fraction was comprised of non-extractables; a smaller fraction of the sorbed dose was extracted into water and acetone, portions which would be potentially mobile in the environment. Partitioning coefficients for all soils suggested strong sorption of ractopamine to soil which is governed by hydrophobic interactions and cation exchange complexes within the soil OM. Ractopamine degradation was observed, but to mostly non-polar compounds which had a higher potential than ractopamine to sorb to soil. The formation of volatiles was also suggested. Therefore, despite rapid and extensive soil sorption,these studies indicated a portion of ractopamine, present in manures used to fertilize soils,may be mobile in the environment via water-borne events.     

Mechanism of Deca-BDE-induced apoptosis in Neuro-2a cells: Role of death-receptor pathway and reactive oxygen species-mediated mitochondrial pathway

Decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209) is a prevalent polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) congener known to have neurotoxicity. Effects of BDE-209 on Neuro-2a cells were performed in the present study and the possible apoptotic pathway was discussed. Results indicated that BDE-209 induced Neuro-2a cell apoptosis, increased the protein expression of Fas and Fas-associated death domain-containing protein (FADD) and activated the caspase-8 and -3 activities in a concentration-dependent manner, inferring the death-receptor pathway was involved in the apoptotic process. Meanwhile, BDE-209 exposure increased the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and decreased the cellular mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) which led to cytochrome C released to the cytoplasm. The intracellular caspase-9 was elevated simultaneously, which caused downstream caspase cascade and triggered cell apoptosis. Moreover, BDE-209 exposure increased cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level in a concentration-dependent manner and the addition of N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC), known as ROS scavengers, obviously reduced the apoptotic rate and a positive relationship was observed between the degree of apoptosis blocking and the loss of MMP and ROS production. We thus concluded that BDE-209 induced Neuro-2a cell apoptosis via the combination of the death-receptor signaling pathway and the mitochondrial signaling pathway. The elevated ROS production was considered to magnify the intracellular apoptosis signal and played a crucial role in apoptosis of Neuro-2a cells induced by BDE-209.     

Cover features and new Associate Editors of the Journal of Environmental Sciences

正We are very pleased to announce that five Associate Editors have joined the editorial team of the Journal of Environmental Sciences(JES).Professors/Drs.Yong Cai,Paul Lam,Jonathan Martin,Michael Plewa,and Po Keung Wong bring a wealth of expertise in environmental sciences.As preeminent scientists in their chosen areas of research,they have made outstanding contributions to the discipline of environmental     

GE公司EHS绩效变化趋势与内部机制探讨

剖析通用电气Plan(政策/目标)-Do(运营体系)-Check&Act(检查改进)的EHS管理体系框架;通过综合指数法分析各环境、健康和安全绩效指标近年的变化趋势以及采取的管理措施;分析总结GE环境管理和环境质量绩效持续改进的机制与工具:(1)全球统一的EHS管理和运营体系;(2)自上而下的EHS培训与自下而上的沟通;(3)数字化的EHS管理工具;(4)严格的EHS审计保证机制;(5)强烈的企业公民责任意识和EHS文化,为国内企业建立和完善EHS管理和运营体系所借鉴。     

环境风险评价研究进展

环境风险评价是环境管理决策过程的重要组成部分,更是社会经济可持续发展的需要,也是环境科学发展的必然结果。经过几十年的发展,环境风险评价的科学理论体系已基本形成。主要介绍了环境风险评价的相关概念和发展情况,包括环境风险评价的研究内容、一般程序和评价方法,讨论了环境风险评价中的不确定性问题,给出了处理不确定性问题的两种方法-概率论和模糊理论,最后,在此基础上提出加强应用研究,以及多学科交叉和不确定性研究是今后环境风险评价的重要发展方向。     

活性黄染料废水脱色动力研究

本文采用草酸铁法（UV/Fe（C2O4）33-/H2 O2）氧化活性黄染料废水,其动力学模型为拟一级动力学反应,反应速率常数分别为0.01084 s-1,通过动力学研究方法获得染料废水脱色反应的半衰期为68s;考察了pH值和反应温度的变化对氧化反应动力学的影响,初始pH值在3.0～4.0之间,对于草酸铁法羟自由基氧化脱...     

Case study on nitrogen and phosphorus emissions from paddy field in Taihu region

The agricultural non-point source pollution by nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) loss from typical paddy soil (whitish soil, Bai Tu in Chinese) in the Taihu Lake region was investigated through a case study. Results shown that the net load of nutrients from white soil is 34.1 kg ha(-1) for total nitrogen (TN), distributed as 19.4 kg ha(-1), in the rice season and 14.7 kg ha(-1) in the wheat season, and for total phosphorus (TP) 1.75 kg ha(-1), distributed as 1.16 kg ha(-1) in the rice season and 0.58 kg ha(-1) in the wheat season. The major chemical species of N loss is different in the two seasons. NH4-N is main the form in the rice season (53% of TN). NO3-N is the main form in wheat season (46% of TN). Particle-P is the main form in both seasons, (about 56% of TP). The nutrient loss varied with time of the year. The main loss of nutrients happened in the 10 days after planting, 64% of TN and 42% of TP loss, respectively. Rainfall and fertilizer application are the key factors which influence nitrogen and phosphorus loss from arable land, especially rainfall events shortly after fertilizer application. So it is very important to improve the field management of the nutrients and water during the early days of planting.     

Occupational risks and the value and modelling of a measurement of severity

In studies of occupational risks, severity, which is a component of the estimation of every risk, appears as a multifaceted entity assessable according to numerous criteria. A method of measuring the degree of severity of the consequences of potentially dangerous events would be of undeniable value to organisations seeking to improve their understanding of the complexity of such events. The need to control severity is highlighted by scientifically acquired improvements in the understanding of occupational risks, by certain new regulatory obligations in Europe, and by some requirements in the financial management of organisations. We put forward a statistical way of integrating several constituent elements of severity and hence of determining a relevant, synthetic, one-dimensional index. This is achieved by means of principal component analysis (PCA), which is used here to calculate a resultant severity, as in some physical measurements. We also investigate how severity may be statistically modelled, with the aim of contributing to the quantitative assessment of occupational risks. The choice of parametric models is detailed and illustrated by the search for a suitable model for workplace accidents in an organisational setting. The practical value of modelling severity is two-fold. First, one is able to study the distribution of the numerical values of severity over a continuum (a theoretically infinite numerical set) rather than through a limited number of arbitrarily defined categories. Second, with a generally applicable parametric model, one can estimate the law of probability of a measurement of severity in a particular situation, notably recent or new. Lastly, the statistical concept of risk curve is defined and discussed. The goal is to incorporate the severity component into the risk assessment in the form of a probability law, thus circumventing the difficulties associated with an analysis of scenarios.