Homogeneous and heterogeneous photolysis of nitrate in the atmosphere: state of the science,current research needs,and future prospects

● Recent advances in the photolysis of nitrate/HNO₃ are reviewed. ● Mechanisms and key factors affecting the photolysis of nitrate/HNO₃ are summarized. ● Atmospheric implications and future research recommendations are provided. Nitrate is an important component of atmospheric particulate matter and affects air quality, climate, human health, and the ecosystem. Nitrate was previously considered a permanent sink for nitrogen oxides (NO_x). However, this viewpoint has been challenged in recent years because growing research evidence has shown the transformation of nitrate into NO_x (i.e., renoxification). The photolysis of nitrate/HNO₃, especially in the particulate phase or adsorbed on particles, can be a significant renoxification process in the atmosphere. The formation and photolysis of nitrate in aerosol not only change the diurnal variation of NO_x, but also provide long-distance transport of NO_x in the form of nitrate, which affects local and regional atmospheric chemistry and air quality. This review summarizes recent advances in the fundamental understanding of the photolysis of nitrate/HNO₃ under various atmospheric conditions, with a focus on mechanisms and key factors affecting the process. The atmospheric implications are discussed and future research is recommended.     

Regional landscape futures to moderate projected climate change: a case study in the agro-pastoral transitional zone of North China

Regional Environmental Change - Pacific Island Countries, despite significant variation in levels of exposure and internal adaptive capacities, are often portrayed homogenously as the world’s...     

Carbon dioxide and methane emissions from the scale model of open dairy lots

To investigate the impacts of major factors on carbon loss via gaseous emissions, carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄) emissions from the ground of open dairy lots were tested by a scale model experiment at various air temperatures (15, 25, and 35 °C), surface velocities (0.4, 0.7, 1.0, and 1.2 m sec^?1), and floor types (unpaved soil floor and brick-paved floor) in controlled laboratory conditions using the wind tunnel method. Generally, CO₂ and CH₄ emissions were significantly enhanced with the increase of air temperature and velocity (P < 0.05). Floor type had different effects on the CO₂ and CH₄ emissions, which were also affected by air temperature and soil characteristics of the floor. Although different patterns were observed on CH₄ emission from the soil and brick floors at different air temperature-velocity combinations, statistical analysis showed no significant difference in CH₄ emissions from different floors (P > 0.05). For CO₂, similar emissions were found from the soil and brick floors at 15 and 25 °C, whereas higher rates were detected from the brick floor at 35 °C (P < 0.05). Results showed that CH₄ emission from the scale model was exponentially related to CO₂ flux, which might be helpful in CH₄ emission estimation from manure management.

Implications: Gaseous emissions from the open lots are largely dependent on outdoor climate, floor systems, and management practices, which are quite different from those indoors. This study assessed the effects of floor types and air velocities on CO₂ and CH₄ emissions from the open dairy lots at various temperatures by a wind tunnel. It provided some valuable information for decision-making and further studies on gaseous emissions from open lots.     

Utilization of coal gangue for the production of brick

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - Coal gangue, an industrial solid waste discarded from coal mining and processing, was used as the sole raw material to prepare brick. The coal...     

Concentration estimation of heavy metal in soils from typical sewage irrigation area of Shandong Province,China using reflectance spectroscopy

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Since sewage irrigation can markedly disturb the status of heavy metals in soils, a convenient and accurate technique for heavy metal concentration...     

基于多元统计的水质动态评价模型研究与应用

给出一种基于多元统计的水质动态评价模型方法,该模型方法以全局主成分分析(GPCA)方法为主,以动态聚类分析、判别分析为辅助方法。再以湟水流域水质断面为例,根据有机污染、无机污染和综合污染等3个方面对这些水质断面1998—2005年水质污染状态进行定量评价和动态分析。研究结果表明:湟水流域水质断面有机污染较为严重,以上3个方面的污染状态逐年严重,综合污染指数均值从1998年的1.63605上升到2005年的2.38624,2001年以后有加速恶化的迹象。     

Estimation of annual potential evapotranspiration at regional scale based on the effect of moisture on soil respiration

Potential evapotranspiration (PET) is an important component of water cycle. For traditional models derived from the principle of aerodynamics and the surface energy balance, its calculation always includes many parameters, such as net radiation, water vapor pressure, air temperature and wind speed. We found that it can be acquired in an easier way in specific regions. In this study, a new PET model (PETP model) derived from two empirical models of soil respiration was evaluated using the Penman-Monteith equation as a standard method. The results indicate that the PETP model estimation concur with the Penman-Monteith equation in sites where annual precipitation ranges from 717.71 mm to 1727.37 mm (R² = 0.68, p = 0.0002), but show large discrepancies in all sites (R² = 0.07, p = 0.1280). Then we applied our PETP model at the global scale to the regions with precipitation higher than 700 mm using 2.5° CMAP data to obtain the annual PET for 2006. As expected, the spatial pattern is satisfactory overall, with the highest PET values distributed in the lower latitudes or coastal regions, and with an average of 1292.60 ± 540.15 mm year⁻¹. This PETP model provides a convenient approach to estimate PET at regional scales.     

树脂包衣肥料残膜对土壤植物的影响及光降解膜肥料的研制

通过盆栽强化试验研究了树脂包衣肥料残膜对土壤容重及作物生长及土壤外观的影响;研究了光降解残膜在自然光下的降解;并探讨了残膜在土壤中的降解与积累模式。结果表明,土壤中残膜含量在0.1%~0.2%范围内时,对作物生长没有负面影响,甚至随着积累量的增加,还有增加作物产量的倾向,但随着土壤中残膜量的增加,对土壤外观有一定影响。添加光降解剂可以显著加快残膜的降解。由于降解现象的存在,残膜在土壤中的量不会无限制增加,而是呈抛物线型积累。残膜在表层土壤中积累的最大量不会超过某一临界值,该值的大小由每年包衣肥料的施用量、残膜露出土表的比例及降解量、损失量决定。     

滤速对慢滤池深度处理生活污水的影响

为进一步提高再生水水质,将慢滤池用于污水二级处理出水的进一步处理。选取浊度、COD、色度和细菌总数4个指标,利用实验室小试装置,研究了0.1、0.3、0.5m/h这3种滤速下慢滤池的性能。结果表明,滤速由0.1m/h升高至0.3m/h时,慢滤池出水水质略有下降。而滤速由0.3m/h升高至0.5m/h时,慢滤池出水水质下降显著。滤速小于等于0.3m/h时,慢滤出水浊度、COD、色度和细菌总数平均为0.4NTU、25.9mg/L、14.9°、5×10^3CFU/mL。慢滤对这4个指标的平均去除率分别为78.6%、36.0%、34.0%、62.3%。为获得优良的水质,建议慢滤池用于污水深度处理时,滤速宜小于0.3m/h。但实际工程中,用户对再生水水质要求不高时,则可适当增大慢滤池滤速。     

重庆市男性PAHs和PAEs暴露与男性精液质量的相关性分析

多环芳烃(polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons,PAHs)和邻苯二甲酸酯(phthalate esters,PAEs)是三峡库区水中主要有机污染物。为探讨这2类化学物对三峡库区男性精液质量的影响,课题组于2007年在三峡库区6个区县进行了男性生殖健康的流行病学调查。调查中共收集到有效样本1 346例,对所有样本进行了精液常规检测,选取了冬季采样的232例标本进行了尿液中4种PAHs代谢产物和5种PAEs代谢产物含量的检测,并对这些样本的精子细胞凋亡(Annexin V/PI双标法)和精子脱氧核醣核酸(DNA)损伤(彗星电泳法)进行了检测。运用Spearman等级相关,多元线性回归和logisitic回归分析等方法分析了PAHs和PAEs代谢产物与精液常规指标、精子细胞凋亡、精子DNA损伤的相关关系。结果显示,1 346名三峡库区健康男性精液常规5项指标全部达到世界卫生组织(WHO)标准的比率仅为38.9%。PAHs代谢产物的含量与男性精液常规指标间未发现相关关系,但某些PAHs代谢产物水平与精子凋亡参数及精子DNA损伤指标有一定的关联性,随着尿中PAHs代谢产物浓度的增加,正常未发生凋亡的精子减少,精子DNA的损伤增加。未发现PAEs代谢产物与精液各项参数间的相关关系。本研究结果表明,在重庆市健康育龄男性中PAHs与PAEs的暴露与精液常规指标间没有明确的相关关系,但PAHs暴露与精子DNA损伤显著相关。为明确PAHs的暴露对精子DNA的损伤作用,有必要进行较大规模的队列研究以进行验证。