Research priorities for managing the impacts and dependencies of business upon food,energy, water and the environment

Delivering access to sufficient food, energy and water resources to ensure human wellbeing is a major concern for governments worldwide. However, it is crucial to account for the ‘nexus’ of interactions between these natural resources and the consequent implications for human wellbeing. The private sector has a critical role in driving positive change towards more sustainable nexus management and could reap considerable benefits from collaboration with researchers to devise solutions to some of the foremost sustainability challenges of today. Yet opportunities are missed because the private sector is rarely involved in the formulation of deliverable research priorities. We convened senior research scientists and influential business leaders to collaboratively identify the top forty questions that, if answered, would best help companies understand and manage their food-energy-water-environment nexus dependencies and impacts. Codification of the top order nexus themes highlighted research priorities around development of pragmatic yet credible tools that allow businesses to incorporate nexus interactions into their decision-making; demonstration of the business case for more sustainable nexus management; identification of the most effective levers for behaviour change; and understanding incentives or circumstances that allow individuals and businesses to take a leadership stance. Greater investment in the complex but productive relations between the private sector and research community will create deeper and more meaningful collaboration and cooperation.     

农药混配制剂环境风险评估现状与展望

本文综述了欧洲和美国农药混配制剂的环境风险评估方法。详细介绍了欧洲食品安全局(EFSA)评估体系中的2种方法,即,基础的"整体测试法"和近年来提倡的"基于组分的方法"。"基于组分的方法"的特点是以浓度加和模型(CA模型)作为默认假设进行初级评估,以独立作用模型(IA模型)等作为高级评估手段的农药混配制剂环境风险评估方法。此外,本文还介绍了模型偏差率(MDR)、毒性相似度及毒力单元(TU)等概念以及混配制剂风险评估流程。本文的目的旨在为建立我国农药混配制剂的环境风险评估方法体系提供参考。     

道路条件安全性分析

对道路上发生的相关交通事故情况与道路条件安全性的关系进行了分析,对比分析了大量国内外事故绝对数、事故率等统计数据.结果表明,简单的交通事故的绝对数反映的道路条件安全性不够准确;交通事故的事故率能够很好地反映道路路面、道路线形、道路横断面、道路交叉口以及道路照明等道路条件的安全性;其中路面摩阻系数是道路条件安全性的一个重要表征指标;道路平纵曲线的重合对道路条件安全性的影响较大.揭示了道路交通事故多发与各种不利道路条件之间存在的内在关系,证明了道路条件的安全性可以用道路上发生的相关交通事故情况来分析与评价的可行性.     

Plant and Soil System Responses to Ozone After 3 Years in a Lysimeter Study with Juvenile Beech (Fagus sylvatica L.)

A lysimeter study was performed to monitor effects of elevated ozone on juvenile trees of Fagus sylvatica L. as well as on the plant–soil system. During a fumigation period over almost three growing seasons, parameters related to plant growth, phenological development and physiology as well as soil functions were studied. The data analyses identified elevated ozone to delay leaf phenology at early and to accelerate it at late developmental stages, to reduce growth, some leaf nutrients (Ca, K) as well as some soluble phenolics (hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives, total flavonol glycosides). No or very weak ozone effects were found in mobile carbon pools of leaves (starch, sucrose), and other phenolic compounds (flavans). Altered gene expression related to stress and carbon cycling corresponded well with findings from leaf phenology and chemical composition analyses indicating earlier senescence and oxidative stress in leaves under elevated ozone. Conversely in the soil system, no effects of ozone were detected on soil enzyme activities, rates of litter degradation and lysimeter water balances. Despite the fact that the three reported years 2003–2005 were climatically very contrasting including a hot and dry as well as an extremely wet summer, and also mild as well as cold winters, the influence of ozone on a number of plant parameters is remarkably consistent, further underlining the phytotoxic potential of elevated tropospheric ozone levels.     

Application of CMB model for source apportionment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in coastal surface sediments from Rizhao offshore area, China

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in coastal surface sediments from Rizhao offshore area were analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. A chemical mass balance (CMB) model developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), CMB8.2, was used to apportion sources of PAHs. Seven possible sources, including coal residential, coal power plant, diesel engines exhaust, gasoline engines exhaust, coke oven, diesel oil leaks, and wood burning, were chosen as the major contributors for PAHs in coastal surface sediments. To establish the fingerprints of the seven sources, source profiles were collected from literatures. After including degradation factors, the modified model results indicate that diesel oil leaks, diesel engines exhaust, and coal burning were the three major sources of PAHs. The source contributions estimated by the EPA’s CMB8.2 model were 9.25%, 15.05%, and 75.70% for diesel oil leaks, diesel engines exhaust, and coal burning, respectively.     

间歇-阶段性酸雨入侵对填埋稳定化飞灰中重金属浸出行为影响

以间歇-分阶段进水方式进行了模拟酸雨柱式动态淋溶实验.结果表明,间歇-阶段性酸雨入侵会影响填埋飞灰中Pb、Zn、Cu、Cr和Ni的浸出行为;尤其间歇停滞期后的初期酸雨入侵会增加多数重金属的再浸出水平,且该部分重金属的释放主要源于前阶段酸雨侵蚀过程中所形成的非稳定性(弱酸态)重金属.各酸雨侵蚀阶段,部分重金属(如Pb-Zn)的浸出行为具有相关性,这与各重金属在飞灰基质内的赋存形态、矿物相稳定性及酸性侵蚀程度等有关.各阶段酸雨入侵会相继溶出飞灰中的可溶性(NaCl、KCl等)、难溶性氯盐(CaClOH)以及微溶性钙盐(CaSO₄),并增加CaCO₃和Ca-Al-Si-O等矿物的峰强.各阶段酸雨入侵会使初始飞灰表面的团簇状结构逐渐被酸性(H⁺)侵蚀作用破坏,并暴露出大量棒状或条形状CaCO₃晶体,且随着酸雨入侵次数的增加,CaCO₃也将逐渐被侵蚀破坏.本研究为非连续酸性降雨条件下填埋稳定化飞灰的重金属浸出行为评价及风险管控提供了科学依据.     

果树缺铁矫正新技术—高渗液注射法

本文概述了植物的铁素营养、果材缺铁黄化病的诊断治疗方法，论述了高涌液注射法矫治果树缺铁黄化病的理论、假说、树木微型注射器、克黄灵高渗液、树干穴位注射法、树干穴位插管法及其应用前景。     

Coping,individual differences,and strain: A longitudinal study of short-term role overload

This study attempted to determine which personality dimensions and coping strategies would reduce or prevent strain in a context of naturally-occurring short-term role overload. Subjects were 106 adult undergraduate evening students enrolled in an intensive three-week summer school session. The median age was 26 years, and 72 per cent of the students worked full-time. Using a repeated-measures panel design, the study tested the effectiveness of three types of coping derived from Hall's (1972) typology. Longitudinal analysts using cross-lagged correlations and structural regressions showed little support for the predicted effects of Hall's three types of coping on subsequent strain. However, a fourth type of coping, Planned Task Management emerged during the analysis and showed a reciprocal relationship with strain. Both variables appeared to influence each other over time, although the effect of prior coping on subsequent strain was slightly but not significantly stronger. Also, alienation (defined as lack of commitment) had a significant moderator effect on the relationship between perceived overload and strain.     

Streamside Management Zones Compromised by Stream Crossings,Legacy Gullies,and Over‐Harvest in the Piedmont

Streamside management zone (SMZ) breakthroughs were identified and characterized to determine frequency and potential causes, in order to provide enhanced guidance for future water quality protection. Ten kilometers of SMZs were carefully examined for partial or complete breakthroughs. With partial breakthroughs the SMZ trapped sediment before it reached the stream, while complete breakthroughs appeared to have allowed sediment to have passed through with minimal restriction. A total of 41 breakthroughs occurred (33 complete, 8 partial) across 16 sites, averaging 1 complete breakthrough per 0.3 km of SMZ length. The most common complete breakthroughs were caused by stream crossings (42%), reactivation of legacy agricultural gullies (27%), and harvest related soil disturbances near/within SMZs (24%). Pearson correlations of site characteristics at breakthroughs indicated no strong relationships between breakthrough sites, representing the variable nature of these unique circumstances. Stream crossings are an intentional breakthrough for access purposes, but resulting environmental impacts can be reduced with best management practice implementation. Current recommendations for SMZs tend to work in most situations, yet further research is needed to identify causal factors and quantify breakthrough severity.