Wind direction bias in generating wind roses and conducting sector-based air dispersion modeling

Certain widely used wind rose programs and air dispersion models use an overly simple data-transfer algorithm that induces a directional bias in their output products. The purpose of this paper is to provide a revised algorithm that corrects the directional bias that occurs from the aliasing that occurs when the sector widths used to report wind direction data are on the same order of magnitude, but not equal, to the sector widths used in the wind direction summaries. The directional bias issue arises when output products in 16 direction sectors (22.5 degrees each) are produced from wind direction data reported in terms of 36 sectors (10 degrees each). The result directional bias affects the results of simulations of air and surface concentrations using widely applied air dispersion models. Datasets or models with the directional bias discussed here give consistent positive biases (approximately 30%) for cardinal direction sectors (north, south, east, and west) and consistent negative biases for all of the other sectors (around -10%). Data summary and air dispersion programs providing outputs in direction sectors that do not match the observational sectors need to be checked for this bias. A revised data-transfer algorithm is provided that corrects the directional bias that can occur in transferring wind direction data between different sector widths.     

污水集中处理厂污水中金属(重金属)的分布

系统地建立集中污水处理装置是环境管理和污染治理的发展方向之一，在工业发达国家已相当普及，本文分析了美国和加拿大污水集中处理厂原污水和常用治理流程各工序中金属（重金属）的分布情况。结果表明，由于地理，气候，人口，特别是工业分布的影响，原污水中金属含量会有较大变化，因为变化范围大且超过排放标准2－10倍（按均值计），在设计和评价时应予化重点考虑的几种金属为：Cd,Cu,Cr,Pb,Ni和Zn，经典型的沉淀－活性污泥工艺处理后，金属除去率大于80％，可以满足排放要求。     

关于乌盟,包头地区金矿及黄金生产状况调查报告

本文首次系统报道了内蒙古地区黄金分布、生产及其污染状况。表明且讨论了采金而引起的环境问题，并且调查分析指明了造成大量污染的根源及有关部门所采取的措施，为将业的黄金开采提出了几点建议。     

塔里木盆地水资源利用与绿洲演变及生态平衡

按塔里木盆地水资源开发利用的历史、现状及未来发展,其与绿洲演变和生态平衡的关系为:原始阶段---生态自然平衡,古绿洲分布在河流下游;初级阶段---生态平衡失调,旧绿洲移向山前平原;低效阶段---生态环境恶化,新绿洲多分布在旧绿洲外围;合理阶段---生态恢复改善,绿洲由外延转向内部挖潜;高效阶段---生态实现良性循环,绿洲面积稳定生产力显著提高。现塔里木盆地水资源利用仅为低效阶段,必须加速水利建设,尽快实现合理、高效利用,才能使生态环境得到改善。     

农业劳动生产率区域差异与农业用能强度收敛性

农业能源的消耗及其增长长期没有引起足够的重视,作为农业大国,在推进现代农业发展的同时,全面考察农业能源的利用效率,对于农业以及整体经济的可持续发展具有重要的现实意义。本文通过对β收敛模型的适当改进,构建了具有时滞因子的调整模型,分别考察了区域农业劳动生产率的收敛性和区域农业用能强度的收敛性,在此基础上进一步分析了农业用能强度随农业劳动生产率变化的收敛或发散情况。结果表明:第一,总体上我国农业劳动生产率是收敛的,即我国农业劳动生产率呈现不断提高的趋势。其中,中部地区农业劳动生产率的收敛速度最快,半生命周期最短,其次为东部地区,西部地区农业劳动生产率的收敛速度在三者中最慢;第二,我国区域农业用能强度也具有收敛性,即我国农业用能效率也呈现不断提高的趋势。具体到不同类别,尽管煤、油、电使用效率都呈现出收敛性,但是电的使用效率最高,而油的使用效率最低,同时,我国农业用能效率主要体现在农业用电上;第三,我国区域农业用能效率的差距在一定程度上也是区域农业劳动生产率差距的结果,并显示出个体属性差异、区域差异和结构特征。就政策建议而言,推动农业生产技术进步,增强农业用能的替代弹性,优化农业用能结构以及通过资本驱动农业发展和培育农业人力资本等途径是提高农业能源使用效率的适宜选择。     

Pollen germination is impeded by tap water

Pollen germination in vitro is totally inhibited in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) and other species if tap water is used to prepare the germination medium. This effect is already fully present if tap water accounts for only 25% of the medium. Furthermore, the pollen grains deteriorate rapidly and the culture medium turns yellowish-brown. The water toxicity is not caused by one or several compounds regularly monitored by the water authorities but can be removed by ion exchange purification. Although the factor(s) responsible for the inhibition were not identified, the study clearly shows the presence of such a contaminant in three different Orange County (Southern California) water wells. The fact that a fundamental botanical process like pollen germination is inhibited by a factor in drinking water not included in water quality control causes some general health concern. In addition, crop yield might be largely reduced if overhead spray irrigation with this water is utilized. The experiments also suggest that pollen germination in vitro could serve as a sensitive and simple bioassay for water quality.     

Response of thermal stressed bobwhite to organophosphorus exposure

Constant and intermittent cold stressed juvenile northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) were exposed to chlorpyrifos, an organophosphorus insecticide, following avian dietary LC(50) test procedures. Chlorpyrifos concentrations ranged from 100 to 1000 ppm; ambient temperatures (T(a)) included 35.0 (control), 32.5, 30.0 and 27.5 degrees C. Survival decreased significantly under constant cold conditions. Non-survivors averaged 33% weight loss, but survivor weight dropped with increasing dose and decreasing T(a). Control quail at all temperatures maintained a constant body temperature (T(b)); however, T(b) of dosed quail fell with increasing dose and decreasing T(a). Non-surviving cold stressed quail had higher cholinesterase (ChE) activity that non-survivors at 35 degrees C; in addition, dead quail failed to average the 50% inhibition of ChE used to implicate a ChE depressant in death. Daily exposure of quail to 12 h of warmth increased survival. Survivors of intermittent cold stress experienced less weight loss than constant cold survivors due to reduced metabolic costs. Synergistic effects were evident in juvenile northern bobwhite exposed simultaneously to chlorpyrifos and cold stress; however, mortality and certain sublethal effects were mitigated when cold exposure was intermittent.     

Does the Harvard/U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Ambient Particle Concentrator change the toxic potential of particles?

Inhalation exposure to urban air particles is known to increase morbidity in humans and animals. Our group utilizes the Harvard/U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Ambient Particle Concentrator (HAPC) to generate concentrated aerosols of outdoor air particles for experimental exposures. We have reported increased pathologic responses to inhalation of concentrated urban air particles and identified silicon (as silicate) as an element associated with many of these responses. Using silicate-rich Mt. St. Helen's volcanic ash (MSHA), we exposed three groups of Sprague-Dawley rats by inhalation for 6 hr to filtered air, MSHA, or MSHA passed though the HAPC. Twenty-four hours following exposure, bronchoalveolar lavage was performed to assess total cell count, differential cell count, protein, lactate dehydrogenase, and n-beta-glucosaminidase levels. Peripheral blood was examined for packed cell volume, total protein, total white cells, and differential cell count. Morphologic studies localized particles in the lung and assessed pulmonary vasculature. No significant differences were observed among any of the groups in any parameter measured including morphometric analysis of pulmonary vasoconstriction. Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray analysis identified particles as silicates typical of MSHA throughout the lung. These findings suggest that particles passing through the HAPC have no change in their toxic potential in an exposure setting where particle deposition in the lung has occurred.     

Resistant sorption of in situ chlorobenzenes and a polychlorinated biphenyl in river Rhine suspended matter

The desorption kinetics of in situ chlorobenzenes (dichlorobenzenes, pentachlorobenzene and hexachlorobenzene) and 2,4,4^′-trichlorobiphenyl (PCB-28) were measured with a gas-purge technique for river Rhine suspended matter sampled in Lobith, The Netherlands. This suspended matter is the main source of sediment accumulation in lake Ketelmeer. In lake Ketelmeer sediment earlier observations showed that slow and very slow fractions dominate the desorption profile.

For the river Rhine suspended matter, only for PCB-28 a fast desorbing fraction of around 1.6% could be detected. The observed rate constants were on the average 0.2 h⁻¹ for fast desorption, 0.004 h⁻¹ for slow desorption, and 0.00022 h⁻¹ for very slow desorption. These values are in agreement with previous findings for the sediment from lake Ketelmeer and with available literature data on fast, slow, and very slow desorption kinetics.

The results from this study show the similarity of desorption profiles between river Rhine suspended matter, and the top layer sediment from lake Ketelmeer. This indicates that slow and very slow fractions are already present in material forming the top layer of lake Ketelmeer, and were not formed after deposition of this material in the lake. The absence of detectable fast fractions for most compounds could be caused by the absence of recent pollution of the suspended matter. But, the observations may also be explained by a rapid disappearance of compounds from the fast fraction due to a combination of a high affinity of very slow sites for these compounds, and their relatively high volatility.     

构建径向基函数神经网络模型预测沙尘暴对上海的影响

以全国47个城市的空气污染指数(API)为输入变量，翌日上海API值为响应输出，建立径向基函数神经网络模型预测沙尘暴影响上海的情况：结果表明，选取合适的模型结构可以取得较好的预测效果。