Phytopumping for hydraulic control of an arsenic plume

Phytoremediation, the use of plants for in situ contaminant cleanup, is gaining new appreciation as an aesthetically pleasing, sustainable method that naturally makes use of solar power. Hybrid poplars are widely used because they grow rapidly and have high transpiration rates, making them advantageous for hydraulic control of groundwater. However, the tendency for trees and other vegetation to uptake metals may be a disadvantage in some settings due to potential redistribution of metals from groundwater to the ground surface. Therefore, a pilot test in the upper midwestern United States was implemented to evaluate the applicability of poplars to groundwater withdrawal and metals transport. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Combined Effects of Levels of Protection and Environmental Variables at Different Spatial Resolutions on Fish Assemblages in a Marine Protected Area

Abstract: The links between species–environment relations and species’ responses to protection are unclear, but the objectives of marine protected areas (MPAs) are most likely to be achieved when those relations are known and inform MPA design. The components of a species’ habitat vary with the spatial resolution of the area considered. We characterized areas at two resolutions: 250 m² (transect) and approximately 30,000 m² (seascape). We considered three categories of environmental variables: substrate type, bottom complexity, and depth. We sought to determine at which resolution habitat characteristics were a better predictor of abundance and species composition of fishes and whether the relations with environmental variables at either resolution affected species’ responses to protection. Habitat features accounted for a larger proportion of spatial variation in species composition and abundances than differences in protection status. This spatial variation was explained best by habitat characteristics at the seascape level than at the transect level. Species’ responses to protected areas were specific to particular seascape characteristics, primarily depth, and bottom complexity. Our method may be useful for prioritizing marine areas for protection, designing MPAs, and monitoring their effectiveness. It identified areas that provided natural shelter, areas acting as buffer zones, and areas where fish species were most responsive to protection. The identification of such areas is necessary for cost‐effective establishment and monitoring of MPAs.     

Understanding Interaction Effects of Climate Change and Fire Management on Bird Distributions through Combined Process and Habitat Models

Abstract: Avian conservation efforts must account for changes in vegetation composition and structure associated with climate change. We modeled vegetation change and the probability of occurrence of birds to project changes in winter bird distributions associated with climate change and fire management in the northern Chihuahuan Desert (southwestern U.S.A.). We simulated vegetation change in a process‐based model (Landscape and Fire Simulator) in which anticipated climate change was associated with doubling of current atmospheric carbon dioxide over the next 50 years. We estimated the relative probability of bird occurrence on the basis of statistical models derived from field observations of birds and data on vegetation type, topography, and roads. We selected 3 focal species, Scaled Quail (Callipepla squamata), Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus), and Rock Wren (Salpinctes obsoletus), that had a range of probabilities of occurrence for our study area. Our simulations projected increases in relative probability of bird occurrence in shrubland and decreases in grassland and Yucca spp. and ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens) vegetation. Generally, the relative probability of occurrence of all 3 species was highest in shrubland because leaf‐area index values were lower in shrubland. This high probability of occurrence likely is related to the species’ use of open vegetation for foraging. Fire suppression had little effect on projected vegetation composition because as climate changed there was less fuel and burned area. Our results show that if future water limits on plant type are considered, models that incorporate spatial data may suggest how and where different species of birds may respond to vegetation changes.     

Effectiveness of Scat‐Detection Dogs in Determining Species Presence in a Tropical Savanna Landscape

Abstract: Most protected areas are too small to sustain populations of wide‐ranging mammals; thus, identification and conservation of high‐quality habitat for those animals outside parks is often a high priority, particularly for regions where extensive land conversion is occurring. This is the case in the vicinity of Emas National Park, a small protected area in the Brazilian Cerrado. Over the last 40 years the native vegetation surrounding the park has been converted to agriculture, but the region still supports virtually all of the animals native to the area. We determined the effectiveness of scat‐detection dogs in detecting presence of five species of mammals threatened with extinction by habitat loss: maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus), puma (Puma concolor), jaguar (Panthera onca), giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla), and giant armadillo (Priodontes maximus). The probability of scat detection varied among the five species and among survey quadrats of different size, but was consistent across team, season, and year. The probability of occurrence, determined from the presence of scat, in a randomly selected site within the study area ranged from 0.14 for jaguars, which occur primarily in the forested areas of the park, to 0.91 for maned wolves, the most widely distributed species in our study area. Most occurrences of giant armadillos in the park were in open grasslands, but in the agricultural matrix they tended to occur in riparian woodlands. At least one target species occurred in every survey quadrat, and giant armadillos, jaguars, and maned wolves were more likely to be present in quadrats located inside than outside the park. The effort required for detection of scats was highest for the two felids. We were able to detect the presence for each of five wide‐ranging species inside and outside the park and to assign occurrence probabilities to specific survey sites. Thus, scat dogs provide an effective survey tool for rare species even when accurate detection likelihoods are required. We believe the way we used scat‐detection dogs to determine the presence of species can be applied to the detection of other mammalian species in other ecosystems.     

燃煤电厂烟塔合一排烟风洞试验与数值模拟对比分析

近年来,燃煤电厂烟塔合一烟气排烟对近距离环境影响的不确定性,使其在国内的推广过程受到一定限制。准确判断烟塔合一排烟的环境影响,对于我国现有燃煤电厂烟气污染物的排放有着巨大的工程价值和明显的现实意义。利用国家环境保护某重点实验室中风洞试验平台,对燃煤电厂烟塔合一烟气污染物在近距离的扩散和传输行为,进行物理风洞试验以及数值模拟计算,并进行对比分析。结果表明:德国Austal2000模式的浓度预测并不精确;数值风洞也有其差异性,而物理风洞的结果在很大程度上符合现有的理论及国内工程实际。     

Arsenic biotransformation and an arsenite S-adenosylmethionine methyltransferase in plankton

<正>Arsenic(As)is a well-recognized toxicant and carcinogen.Chronic exposure to inorganic arsenic causes a range of human cancers(e.g.,skin,bladder,and lung)and increases the risk of developing diabetes,hypertension,and cardiovascular and neurological diseases.The prevalence of arsenic species and the severity of their health effects continue to drive and demand for extensive research(Carlin et al.,2016).     

紫外分光光度法测定海水中石油类的不确定度评定

对紫外分光光度法测定海水中石油类浓度进行了不确定度评定。通过对标准溶液、标准工作曲线拟合、前处理过程等影响测定结果的不确定度分量进行分析,计算出测定结果的扩展不确定度,并找出影响该不确定度的主要因素。结果表明,紫外分光光度法测定海水中石油类浓度的不确定度的主要来源是实验中前处理过程的不确定度,本次实验所测海水中石油类浓度的不确定度报告为19.98±1.326 mg/L。     

三种观测标准的霾日与空气污染日对比分析

目前气象观测业务和空气污染分析中存在对霾日统计的分歧,甚至出现空气污染日无霾的现象,对霾观测标准的科学划分,显得非常重要和紧迫。利用2013—2015年廊坊市气象观测站能见度、相对湿度、霾人工观测资料和廊坊市环保局AQI、PM25浓度等气象环保资料,对目前观测业务和空气污染分析中常用的三种霾观测、统计方法进行了对比分析。分析发现:目前廊坊气象观测站所依据的记录霾天气现象的标准,与实际大气污染相趋甚远,不能反映实际的空气污染状况,建议国家及省级相关部门及早根据实际情况,更新霾观测标准,更好地为当前大气污染的防治工作提供客观依据。     

Electrochemical treatment of olive mill wastewater: Treatment extent and effluent phenolic compounds monitoring using some uncommon analytical tools

Problems related with industrials effluents can be divided in two parts: (1) their toxicity associated to their chemical content which should be removed before discharging the wastewater into the receptor media; (2) and the second part is linked to the difficulties of pollution characterisation and monitoring caused by the complexity of these matrixes. This investigation deals with these two aspects, an electrochemical treatment method of an olive mill wastewater (OMW) under platinized expanded titanium electrodes using a modified Grignard reactor for toxicity removal as well as the exploration of the use of some specific analytical tools to monitor effluent phenolic compounds elimination. The results showed that electrochemical oxidation is able to remove/mitigate the OMW pollution. Indeed, 87% of OMW color was removed and all aromatic compounds were disappeared from the solution by anodic oxidation. Moreover, 55% of the chemical oxygen demand (COD) and the total organic carbon (TOC) were reduced. On the other hand, UV- Visible spectrophotometry, Gaz chromatography/mass spectrometry, cyclic voltammetry and 13 C Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) showed that the used treatment seems efficaciously to eliminate phenolic compounds from OMW. It was concluded that electrochemical oxidation in a modified Grignard reactor is a promising process for the destruction of all phenolic compounds present in OMW. Among the monitoring analytical tools applied, cyclic voltammetry and 13 C NMR are among the techniques that are introduced for the first time to control the advancement of the OMW treatment and gave a close insight on polyphenols disappearance.     

污泥焚烧中二氧化硫检测新方法及污泥处理探讨

对新乡市9个污水处理场污泥预处理后,用测硫仪分析污泥含硫量,并用经验公式根据年污水处理量,估算焚烧污泥方法年二氧化硫排放总量。结果显示：用测硫仪测定污泥含硫量,核算二氧化硫排放量,与现有方法相比,操作简便易行,结果不受采样条件、时间、环境、布点等因素影响,重现性好、完整、精密。同时发现部分污泥含硫量超过规定用煤中含硫量,建议用焚烧方法处置污泥,净化尾气。