Decomposition of CCl4 and CHCl3 on gliding arc plasma

Introduction C hlorinated volatile organic com pounds(C V O C s) w ere released to the atm osphere as flue gases from various industrial processes. C hlorinated hydrocar- bons have been w idely accepted as solvents and chem ical interm ediates in the m an…     

The Role of Botanic Gardens in the Science and Practice of Ecological Restoration

Abstract: Many of the skills and resources associated with botanic gardens and arboreta, including plant taxonomy, horticulture, and seed bank management, are fundamental to ecological restoration efforts, yet few of the world's botanic gardens are involved in the science or practice of restoration. Thus, we examined the potential role of botanic gardens in these emerging fields. We believe a reorientation of certain existing institutional strengths, such as plant‐based research and knowledge transfer, would enable many more botanic gardens worldwide to provide effective science‐based support to restoration efforts. We recommend botanic gardens widen research to include ecosystems as well as species, increase involvement in practical restoration projects and training practitioners, and serve as information hubs for data archiving and exchange.     

改性生物炭对水体中抗生素的去除研究进展

随着社会经济的不断发展,抗生素造成的水体环境污染问题已不容忽视.利用生物炭去除水体中的抗生素是解决这一问题的有效手段之一.然而,原始生物炭对水体中抗生素等有机污染物的去除存在一定局限性,因此对生物炭进行改性以提升其吸附能力尤为必要.生物炭的吸附性能受生物质类型、碳化条件和改性方法等因素影响较大,导致目前虽然开展了许多相...     

Effects of Urbanization on the Distribution and Abundance of Amphibians and Invasive Species in Southern California Streams

Abstract:  Urbanization negatively affects natural ecosystems in many ways, and aquatic systems in particular. Urbanization is also cited as one of the potential contributors to recent dramatic declines in amphibian populations. From 2000 to 2002 we determined the distribution and abundance of native amphibians and exotic predators and characterized stream habitat and invertebrate communities in 35 streams in an urbanized landscape north of Los Angeles (U.S.A.). We measured watershed development as the percentage of area within each watershed occupied by urban land uses. Streams in more developed watersheds often had exotic crayfish ( Procambarus clarkii ) and fish, and had fewer native species such as California newts ( Taricha torosa ) and California treefrogs ( Hyla cadaverina ). These effects seemed particularly evident above 8% development, a result coincident with other urban stream studies that show negative impacts beginning at 10–15% urbanization. For Pacific treefrogs ( H. regilla ), the most widespread native amphibian, abundance was lower in the presence of exotic crayfish, although direct urbanization effects were not found. Benthic macroinvertebrate communities were also less diverse in urban streams, especially for sensitive species. Faunal community changes in urban streams may be related to changes in physical stream habitat, such as fewer pool and more run habitats and increased water depth and flow, leading to more permanent streams. Variation in stream permanence was particularly evident in 2002, a dry year when many natural streams were dry but urban streams were relatively unchanged. Urbanization has significantly altered stream habitat in this region and may enhance invasion by exotic species and negatively affect diversity and abundance of native amphibians.     

Deforestation and Avian Extinction on Tropical Landbridge Islands

Abstract: There are few empirical data, particularly collected simultaneously from multiple sites, on extinctions resulting from human‐driven land‐use change. Southeast Asia has the highest deforestation rate in the world, but the resulting losses of biological diversity remain poorly documented. Between November 2006 and March 2008, we conducted bird surveys on six landbridge islands in Malaysia and Indonesia. These islands were surveyed previously for birds in the early 1900s, when they were extensively forested. Our bird inventories of the islands were nearly complete, as indicated by sampling saturation curves and nonparametric true richness estimators. From zero (Pulau Malawali and Pulau Mantanani) to 15 (Pulau Bintan) diurnal resident landbird species were apparently extirpated since the early 1900s. Adding comparable but published extinction data from Singapore to our regression analyses, we found there were proportionally fewer forest bird extinctions in areas with greater remaining forest cover. Nevertheless, the statistical evidence to support this relationship was weak, owing to our unavoidably small sample size. Bird species that are restricted to the Indomalayan region, lay few eggs, are heavier, and occupy a narrower habitat breadth, were most vulnerable to extinction on Pulau Bintan. This was the only island where sufficient data existed to analyze the correlates of extinction. Forest preservation and restoration are needed on these islands to conserve the remaining forest avifauna. Our study of landbridge islands indicates that deforestation may increasingly threaten Southeast Asian biodiversity.     

无排泥条件下的膜-生物反应器系统处理焦化废水可行性研究

小试规模浸没式厌氧/缺氧/好氧-膜-生物反应器(A1/A2/O-MBR)系统用于处理实际焦化废水,在无排泥条件下连续运行160 d.考察了长期运行条件下系统对不同污染物的去除性能,并通过亲疏水组分分离和三维荧光光谱法,对进出水焦化废水中溶解性有机物(DOMs)特征进行分析.结果表明,A1/A2/O-MBR系统能稳定去除88.0%±1.6%的COD,99.9%的挥发酚,99.4%±0.2%的浊度和98.3%±1.9%的NH4+-N,相应的平均出水浓度分别为249 mg/L±44 mg/L、0.18 mg/L±0.05 mg/L、1.0NTU±0.2 NTU和4.1 mg/L±4.3 mg/L;最大TN去除率可达到74.9%.在系统160 d运行过程中,MLVSS/MLSS维持在90.2%±1.0%,没有出现无机物的积累;污泥的表观产率(MLVSS/COD)逐渐降低并最终稳定在0.035 kg/kg.在焦化废水DOMs的疏水酸性、疏水中性、疏水碱性和亲水物4种组分中,疏水酸性物是进出水中最主要的溶解性有机碳(DOC)和色度组分,分别占进出水总DOC的70%和67%,总色度的75%和76%.三维荧光光谱分析表明腐殖质类物质是系统出水中残留的主要难降解有机物和致色物质.     

Assessing Risk in Operational Decisions Using Great Lakes Probabilistic Water Level Forecasts

/ A method adapted from the National Weather Service's Extended Streamflow Prediction technique is applied retrospectively to three Great Lakes case studies to show how risk assessment using probabilistic monthly water level forecasts could have contributed to the decision-mak-ing process. The first case study examines the 1985 International Joint Commission (IJC) decision to store water in Lake Superior to reduce high levels on the downstream lakes. Probabilistic forecasts are generated for Lake Superior and Lakes Michigan-Huron and used with riparian inundation value functions to assess the relative impacts of the IJC's decision on riparian interests for both lakes. The second case study evaluates the risk of flooding at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and the need to implement flood-control projects if Lake Michigan levels were to continue to rise above the October 1986 record. The third case study quantifies the risks of impaired municipal water works operation during the 1964-1965 period of extreme low water levels on Lakes Huron, St. Clair, Erie, and Ontario. Further refinements and other potential applications of the probabilistic forecast technique are discussed.KEY WORDS: Great Lakes; Water levels; Forecasting; Risk; Decision making     

Impact and Dynamics of Disease in Species Threatened by the Amphibian Chytrid Fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis

Abstract:  Estimating disease-associated mortality and transmission processes is difficult in free-ranging wildlife but important for understanding disease impacts and dynamics and for informing management decisions. In a capture–mark–recapture study, we used a PCR-based diagnostic test in combination with multistate models to provide the first estimates of disease-associated mortality and detection, infection, and recovery rates for frogs endemically infected with the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), which causes the pandemic amphibian disease chytridiomycosis. We found that endemic chytridiomycosis was associated with a substantial reduction (approximately 38%) in apparent monthly survival of the threatened rainforest treefrog Litoria pearsoniana despite a long period of coexistence (approximately 30 years); detection rate was not influenced by disease status; improved recovery and reduced infection rates correlated with decreased prevalence, which occurred when temperatures increased; and incorporating changes in individuals' infection status through time with multistate models increased effect size and support (98.6% vs. 71% of total support) for the presence of disease-associated mortality when compared with a Cormack–Jolly–Seber model in which infection status was restricted to the time of first capture. Our results indicate that amphibian populations can face significant ongoing pressure from chytridiomycosis long after epidemics associated with initial Bd invasions subside, an important consideration for the long-term conservation of many amphibian species worldwide. Our findings also improve confidence in estimates of disease prevalence in wild amphibians and provide a general framework for estimating parameters in epidemiological models for chytridiomycosis, an important step toward better understanding and management of this disease.     

Decomposition of aqueous chlorinated contaminants by UV irradiation with H2O2

In the present study, the decomposition rates of carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) and 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) in water by the ultraviolet (UV) light irradiation alone and H₂O₂/UV were experimentally investigated. The detailed experimental studies have been conducted for examining treatment capacities of the two different ultraviolet light sources (low and medium pressure Hg arc) in H₂O₂/UV processes. The low or medium UV lamp alone resulted in a 60%–90% decomposition of 2,4-DCP while a slight addition of H₂O₂ resulted in a drastic enhancement of the 2,4-DCP decomposition rate. The decomposition rate of 2,4-DCP with the medium pressure UV lamp alone was about 3–6 times greater than the low pressure UV lamp alone. In the direct photolysis of aqueous CCl₄, the medium pressure UV lamp had advantage over the low pressure UV lamp because the molar extinction coefficient of CCl₄ at shorter wavelength (210–220 nm) is about 20 to 50 times higher than that at 254 nm. However, adding H₂O₂ to the medium pressure UV lamp system rendered a negative oxidation rate because H₂O₂ acted as a UV absorber being competitive with CCl₄ due to negligible reaction between CCl₄ and OH radicals. The results from the present study indicated significant influence of the photochemical properties of the target contaminants on the photochemical treatment characteristics for designing cost-effective UV-based degradation of toxic contaminants.     

Regenerable adsorbent for removing ammonia evolved from anaerobic reaction of animal urine

The waste gas evolved from biodegradation of animal urine contains ammonia causing environmental concerns. A new and effective method for removing ammonia from such waste gas using reactive adsorption is presented. In the process, activated carbon impregnated with H2SO4（H2SO4/C） is employed. Ammonia in the waste gas reacts with H2SO4 on the adsorbent instantaneously and completely to form （NIL）2SO4. The H2SO4/C adsorbent is high in NH3 adsorption capacity and regenerable. The NH3 removal capacity of this regenerable adsorbent is more than 30 times that of the adsorbents used normally in the industry. The spent H2SO4/C is regenerated by flowing low-pressure steam through the adsorbent bed to remove the （NH4）2SO4 from the adsorbent. The regeneration by-product is concentrated （NH4）2SO4 solution, which is a perfect liquid fertilizer for local use. Re-soaking the activated carbon with H2SO4 solution rejuvenates the activity of the adsorbent. Thus the H2SOJC can be reused repeatedly. In the mechanism of this reactive adsorption process, trace of H20 in the waste gas is a required, which lends itself to treating ammonia gas saturated with moisture from biodegradation of animal urine.