Organic certification for shrimp value chains in Ca Mau,Vietnam: a means for improvement or an end in itself?

Eco-certification has been used as a tool to mitigate adverse effects of aquaculture production and might thus be understood as a private approach to sustainable ecosystem management. In production forests in Ca Mau, Vietnam, where mangrove have suffered degradation despite legal protection, different projects have targeted reversing this trend by means of private certification using the ‘Naturland’ organic standard as a reference. So far the outcomes have, however, been proven unsatisfactory. With the aim to better understand the reasons for these poor outcomes, a survey of forty households was conducted in a production forest in Rach Goc commune, Ngoc Hien District. We evaluated farmers’ perceptions on mangrove management, the drivers guiding shrimp farming, and whether there was a difference between participants and non-participants in a former ‘Naturland’ organic project. To complement the survey, a range of stakeholders involved in shrimp value chains were interviewed to better understand the terms and benefits of certification. The results of this survey suggested that, when applied to shrimp–mangrove farming systems in production forests in Ca Mau, ‘eco-certification’ and associated benefits are not very satisfactory. The survey results revealed that certified farms do not show significant differences to non-certified farms in terms of social and environmental benefits. As far as the implementation process was concerned, the survey results showed that a failure to integrate local farmers as participants consequently resulted in households becoming ‘objects’ for certification and not project partners with equal weight and power. It appears that rather than being a tool for improvement, ‘Naturland’ certification for shrimp–mangrove farming systems in Ca Mau’s production forests has become an end in itself.     

The potential environmental risks of pharmaceuticals in Vietnamese aquatic systems: case study of antibiotics and synthetic hormones

Presently, many pharmaceuticals are listed as emerging contaminants since they are considered to be great potential threats to environmental ecosystems. These contaminants, thus, present significant research interest due to their extensive use and their physicochemical and toxicological properties. This review discusses a whole range of findings that address various aspects of the usage, occurrence, and potentially environmental risks of pharmaceuticals released from various anthropogenic sources, with emphasis on the aquatic systems in Vietnam. The published information and collected data on the usage and occurrence of antibiotics and synthetic hormone in effluents and aquatic systems of Vietnam is reported. This is followed by a potential ecological risk assessment of these pollutants. The extensive use of antibiotics and synthetic hormones in Vietnam could cause the discharge and accumulation of these contaminants in the aquatic systems and potentially poses serious risks for ecosystems. Vietnam is known to have extensively used antibiotics and synthetic hormones, so these contaminants are inevitably detected in aquatic systems. Thus, an appropriate monitoring program of these contaminants is urgently needed in order to mitigate their negative effects and protect the ecosystems.     

Quantitative analysis of toxic halogenated contaminants in Oluyoro stream of Nigeria

Analysis of organic contaminants is reported for the Oluyoro stream located in the South-Western Nigeria. Using gas chromatography methods with flame ionization, electron capture and mass spectrometer detectors, alarming levels of organic pollutants including alkanes, alkenes, alcohols and alkyl halides were detected. Remarkably, toxic halogenated organic substances such as 4,4′-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (4,4′-DDT), 4,4′-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane (4,4′-DDD), beta-benzenehexachloride (beta-BHC), heptachlor epoxide, endrin aldehyde and endrin ketone are found to be at 15,820, 6,176, 1,155, 336, 24 and 13 times, respectively, more than the permitted levels of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US-EPA). Furthermore, 4,4′-DDD, a probable human carcinogen, and methoxychlor are detected for the first time when compared to the last report published in 1992. Activities such as high influx of domestic and industrial wastes to the stream have drastically increased the concentrations of these halogenated contaminants. Results presented in this article provide important information for potential future effects of these contaminants on human health and the integrated environment in the region.     

Understanding the impact of hydropower developments in the context of upstream–downstream relations in the Mekong river basin

Hydropower developments along the main stem of the Mekong River and its tributaries cause transboundary effects within the Mekong Basin Region, which comprises parts of six countries. On the one hand, the provision of hydropower triggers economic development and helps to meet the rising energy demand of the Mekong riparian countries, especially China, Thailand, and Vietnam. On the other hand, the negative impact of dam construction, mainly altered water flow and sediment load, has severe impacts on the environment and the livelihoods of the rural Mekong population. Several discrepancies exist in the needs, demands, and challenges of upstream versus downstream countries. Against the common apprehension that downstream countries are powerlessly exposed to mainly negative impacts whereas upstream countries unilaterally benefit from hydropower, the authors argue that upstream–downstream relations are not really clear-cut. This conclusion is based on a consideration of the complex power play between Mekong riparians, with a focus on recent power trade interactions. The article investigates the consequences of hydropower dams for the Mekong region as well as the role of supranational players, such as the Mekong River Commission and the Greater Mekong Subregion Initiative, on the hydropower debate. It is not nations that are the winners or losers in the hydropower schemes in the Mekong, but rather parts of the riparian population: a few influential and powerful elites versus the large mass of rural poor.     

Histopathological and biochemical alternations of the heart induced by acute cadmium exposure in the freshwater crab Sinopotamon yangtsekiense

Cadmium (Cd) is a highly toxic element in water. Its toxicity has been attributed to oxidative stress mediated by free radicals. Here we investigated the effects of Cd on the histopathology, antioxidant enzymes and lipid peroxidation of crustacean heart. The freshwater crabs Sinopotamon yangtsekiense were exposed to different concentrations of Cd for 1, 3, 5 and 7 d. After exposure, histological abnormalities were discovered, including myocardial edema, vacuolar and vitreous degeneration, and infiltration of inflammatory cells. Additionally, alterations in nuclei, mitochondria, rough endoplasmic reticulum as well as myofibrils were observed. Meanwhile, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was significantly increased after Cd exposure. Catalase (CAT) activity was only increased in the group exposed to 14.50 mg L⁻¹ Cd on day 5 and decreased with increasing Cd concentration and exposure time. Glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity was increased in groups treated with 29.00, 58.00 and 116.00 mg L⁻¹ on days 1 and 3, and decreased thereafter. Besides, malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were significantly increased after 3 d of Cd exposure at all the indicated concentrations. These results showed that acute Cd exposure led to harmful effects on the histology of crab heart, which are most likely linked to Cd-induced oxidative stress.     

桥丝式电火工品电磁环境失效规律

目的 确保桥丝式电火工品在电磁环境下能够安全可靠地工作,降低其在不同应用场景中的失效风险,探索失效判据并研究失效特征,以获得失效规律.方法 采用天线理论、传输线理论以及电路理论相结合的方式,对 1#桥丝式电火工品在10 kHz～18 GHz的感应电流分布进行解析计算,并在敏感频率下开展试验研究.通过试验,获得在不同电场强度下该型桥丝式火工品的失效概率分布情况.结果 随着电磁场强度的增大,桥丝式感应电流不断增加,基本呈现出线性增加的规律.当感应电流超过桥丝式火工品最小全发火电流的 20%时,产品逐渐出现失效现象,且感应电流越大,失效概率越高;当感应电流超过桥丝式火工品最大不发火电流的 15%时,安全性风险逐步增加.桥丝式电火工品在电磁场中失效的界面主要集中在桥丝以及与桥丝接触的药剂上,失效模式分为物理失效和化学失效.结论 采用电阻超差 10%作为失效判据的方法是可行的.不同频率和强度的电磁场对桥丝感应电流的影响程度各不相同,在敏感频率条件下探讨桥丝式电火工品的失效问题,对实际应用具有更重要的指导意义.     

超滤在乙醇厌氧沼液资源化回用中的应用

厌氧沼液经资源化处理后回用于生产,可有效解决传统乙醇生产过程耗水量大和废水处理成本高等突出问题。鉴于超滤是去除厌氧沼液中微生物的常用手段,该方法对管式超滤膜用于处理乙醇厌氧沼液的可行性开展了研究。结果表明：在沼液温度50 ℃、膜面流速为4.5 m·s-1、产水率30%的最佳条件下,膜通量达到174 L·(m2·h)-1;膜污染包括无机污染和有机污染,无机污染主要有Ca2+、Mg2+和Fe3+等,有机污染较为复杂,包括烃、脂肪酸及其衍生物以及腐殖酸、富里酸等;最佳清洗策略是先用柠檬酸和NaClO清洗,然后用NaOH进行清洗,膜通量恢复率达到了98%以上。超滤可以有效去除厌氧沼液中的微生物,避免拌料粉浆的酸化。     

Characterization of compaction and CBR properties of recycled concrete aggregates for unbound road base and subbase materials in Vietnam

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - Mechanical properties of recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) such as compaction and California bearing ratio (CBR) are important for application as...