Sociological survey in a municipality with a high level separate collection programme in an area of historic unpopularity

Behaviours, opinions and knowledge of citizens on MSW and separate collection were investigated in the city of Mercato San Severino (about 22,000 people), in the Campania region of Southern Italy that is an area suffering from a serious solid waste emergency that has lasted over 17 years due to the absence of treatment facilities. The image of heaps of rubbish in the streets of Naples and other nearby cities is only one side of the coin. Mercato San Severino has adopted an effective kerbside collection system since 2001 and a pay-as-you-throw program during 2005, guaranteeing more than the minimum level of recycling required by the Italian legislation. Structured questionnaires were administered to a sample of 500 people in 2010. Chi-square tests of independence were applied to state whether the differences were statistically significant (5%). About 90% of the sample stated that the success of the separate collection program was due to either the citizens and local authority or only the local authority, highlighting the leading role of the local authority and confirming that trust is the key to any social program success. The registered level of knowledge was better than that of nearby university students and citizens. The higher the education level, the greater the level of knowledge was.     

Social signals and sustainability: ambiguity about motivations can affect status perceptions of efficiency and curtailment behaviors

Perceived status can affect the diffusion of pro-environmental behaviors and sustainable consumption. However, the status of different forms of sustainable consumption has not been adequately explored. Previous studies suggest that curtailment behaviors are associated with low or neutral status, while efficiency behaviors are associated with high status. However, these studies have generally examined a small number of behaviors. Drawing from costly signaling theory, we developed a mixed methods study to explore whether and why pro-environmental behaviors are perceived to be associated with high or low status, the perceived motivation for those behaviors, and the relationship between motivation and status. We conducted structured, interactive interviews with 71 participants to explore perceptions of 19 behaviors. Using quantitative and qualitative analyses, we find that efficiency is rated higher status than curtailment largely due to monetary considerations. Efficiency is also perceived to be motivated by environmental concern to a greater degree than curtailment. Understanding the motivation for behaviors clarifies the social signal because it provides insights into whether one is incurring personal costs. Importantly, it is often unclear whether low-cost curtailment behaviors are adopted by choice rather than financial need. Ambiguity about the intentionality of behaviors results in such behaviors being perceived as lower status. Those who argue that curtailment will be necessary for long-term sustainability must address status perceptions because social stigmas could hinder their adoption. Overcoming such stigmas may require, indicating that curtailment behaviors are voluntary, but it may be more effective to use social or economic mechanisms to increase efficiency behaviors.     

不同富营养状态下沼蛤的存活与行为特性研究

通过设计不同富营养状态下沼蛤的行为特性的控制实验,探讨了不同富营养状态下沼蛤的生存、运动和粘附特性。研究结果为:(1)富营养状态最优(贫营养)水质不适宜沼蛤的粘附,但是适宜其生存,因此移动距离最短,运动能力最差。轻度富营养水质适宜沼蛤的生存。富营养状态最差(重度富营养)不适宜沼蛤的生存,因此移动距离最远,能生存下来的沼蛤运动能力最强。(2)在不同营养盐浓度下的重度富营养状态水质中,沼蛤适宜在营养盐浓度较低的水体中生存,营养盐浓度越高越不适宜沼蛤生存;营养盐浓度越高越不适宜沼蛤粘附,营养盐浓度相对而言较低的水体适宜沼蛤粘附。(3)在不同藻浓度下的重度富营养水质中,沼蛤适宜在藻浓度较低的水体中生存,藻浓度越高越不适宜沼蛤生存;藻浓度越高越不适宜沼蛤粘附,藻浓度相对而言较低的水体适宜沼蛤粘附;低藻浓度水体相对而言更适宜沼蛤生存,因此移动距离最短,运动能力最差,高藻浓度水体不适宜沼蛤生存,因此移动距离最远,能生存下来的沼蛤运动能力最强。富营养状态是影响沼蛤生长、粘附和运动的关键要素,轻度富营养化状态最适宜沼蛤生长和粘附。水体中营养盐浓度和浮游植物浓度也是影响沼蛤生长、粘附和运动的关键要素,重度富营养化状态中营养盐浓度和浮游植物浓度越低,越适宜适宜沼蛤生长和粘附。     

腐蚀损伤对典型铝合金结构疲劳寿命的影响研究

目的研究严酷服役条件下飞机结构的寿命衰减问题。方法以飞机关键结构模拟件为研究对象,基于编制的某机场环境加速试验谱进行当量加速腐蚀试验,采用MTS810材料试验系统进行预腐蚀后的疲劳试验。结果通过对试验结果的分析,确定了关键结构疲劳寿命腐蚀影响系数与腐蚀损伤尺寸之间的对应关系。结论关键结构腐蚀损伤宽度与疲劳寿命腐蚀影响系数相关性最好。     

Is micronucleus assay in oral exfoliated cells a suitable tool for biomonitoring children exposed to environmental pollutants? A systematic review

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The aim of this review was to evaluate if micronucleus assay in oral exfoliated cells is a suitable tool for biomonitoring children exposed to...     

Impact of Perceived Importance of Ecosystem Services and Stated Financial Constraints on Willingness to Pay for Riparian Meadow Restoration in Flanders (Belgium)

The strategic importance of ecosystem service valuation as an operational basis for policy decisions on natural restoration has been increasingly recognized in order to align the provision of ecosystem services with the expectation of human society. The contingent valuation method (CVM) is widely used to quantify various ecosystem services. However, two areas of concern arise: (1) whether people value specific functional ecosystem services and overlook some intrinsic aspects of natural restoration, and (2) whether people understand the temporal dimension of ecosystem services and payment schedules given in the contingent scenarios. Using a peri-urban riparian meadow restoration project in Flanders, Belgium as a case, we explored the impacts of residents’ perceived importance of various ecosystem services and stated financial constraints on their willingness-to-pay for the proposed restoration project employing the CVM. The results indicated that people tended to value all the benefits of riparian ecosystem restoration concurrently, although they accorded different importances to each individual category of ecosystem services. A longer payment scheme can help the respondents to think more about the flow of ecosystem services into future generations. A weak temporal embedding effect can be detected, which might be attributed to respondents’ concern about current financial constraints, rather than financial bindings associated with their income and perceived future financial constraints. This demonstrates the multidimensionality of respondents’ financial concerns in CV. This study sheds light on refining future CV studies, especially with regard to public expectation of ecosystem services and the temporal dimension of ecosystem services and payment schedules.     

基于腐蚀电流的加速腐蚀关系可靠性模型

目的通过对加速腐蚀关系的研究,为飞机的日历寿命的确定提供依据。方法首先提出基于腐蚀电流的加速腐蚀关系可靠性模型,并通过测试极化曲线的方法得到LY12和ZL115两种飞机常用铝合金材料在蒸馏水及不同浓度Na Cl溶液中的腐蚀电流。结果由于材料缺陷分布的随机性,铝合金的腐蚀电流具有随机特征,且随着盐浓度的增加而增大。两种铝合金材料的加速腐蚀关系系数在统计上存在较大的差异,在3.5%盐浓度下(温度)考虑95%置信度的加速腐蚀关系系数,LY12铝合金为3.53、ZL115为2.32。结论本文基于腐蚀电流的加速腐蚀关系的研究可以很好地为飞机日历寿命确定提供依据。