An evaluation of improvements in the air quality of Beijing arising from the use of new vehicle emission standards

An innovative approach of mean emission by vehicle type was used in this paper to assess the impact of new vehicle emission standards in Beijing, China during the period of 2000–2005. It was found that CO and NO_x emissions decreased by 48% and 23%, respectively, from Type O (before 2000) to Type I (year 2000) vehicles. The reductions from Type O to Type II (year 2002) vehicles were 85% and 73% for CO and NO_x, respectively. When all three types of vehicles (Types O, I and II) are combined, the annual per vehicle CO emissions decreased from 586 kg per vehicle per year in 2000 to 324 kg per vehicle per year in 2005, while that of NO_x decreased from 66.9 to 43.4 kg per vehicle per year, which was mainly resulted from the impact of stringent new vehicle emission standards implemented in years 2000 and 2002. However, the vehicle population increased by 70% during the same time period, which offset the impact of cleaner vehicles. Thus, the total vehicle emission decreased little for CO (885,000 tons in 2000, 837,000 tons in 2005) and even increased slightly for NO_x (101,000 and 112,000 tons in 2000 and 2005, respectively). The ambient concentrations of CO decreased significantly throughout 2000–2005, the same trend was not observed for NO₂. Correlation analysis (grey correlation and Pearson correlation) between the annual vehicle emissions and annual concentrations of CO, the annual NO_x emission and annual NO₂ concentration indicated that the implementation of new vehicle emission standards was associated with the abatement of ambient CO and NO₂ concentrations in Beijing.     

中国表层水体沉积物中多环芳烃源解析及评价

采用索氏提取气相色谱-质谱法测定中国6个重点水体表层沉积物中16种多环芳烃的含量。各化合物含量范围分别为长江6.20~163 ng/g、淮河7.90~249 ng/g、海河12.1~401 ng/g、松花江5.75~152 ng/g、太湖29.1~2 810 ng/g和滇池19.1~795ng/g;16种多环芳烃的总量分别为：长江1 147 ng/g、淮河1 723 ng/g、海河2 595 ng/g、松花江793 ng/g、太湖12472 ng/g、滇池3 714 ng/g,属中等污染水平。利用特征分子比值法分析结果表明6条水体表层沉积物中PAHs均可能以燃料（包括柴油、汽油、煤、木材）燃烧以及焦化污染为主。淮河和滇池还可能存在轻微石油泄漏污染。利用沉积物质量基准法（SQGs）和沉积物质量标准法分别对6条水体表层沉积物中多环芳烃的风险评估表明严重的多环芳烃生态风险在这些水体表层沉积物中不存在,但长江、淮河、松花江、海河均可能存在一定的潜在风险,负面生物毒性效应会偶尔发生,风险主要来源于荧蒽和菲。太湖和滇池水体中存在的潜在多环芳烃风险种类较多,风险主要来源于菲、荧蒽、芘、苯并（a）蒽、苊和蒽,对水生生物毒性效应较高,有必要进行更深入细致的调查研究高风险区域底栖生物的受损状况、污染来源和途径,以制定合理的污染控制对策。     

Spatial heterogeneity of stream environmental conditions and macroinvertebrates community in an agriculture dominated watershed and management implications for a large river (the Liao River,China) basin

Understanding the effects of watershed land uses (e.g., agriculture, urban industry) on stream ecological conditions is important for the management of large river basins. A total of 41 and 56 stream sites (from first to fourth order) that were under a gradient of watershed land uses were monitored in 2009 and 2010, respectively, in the Liao River Basin, Northeast China. The monitoring results showed that a total of 192 taxa belonging to four phyla, seven classes, 21 orders and 91 families were identified. The composition of macroinvertebrate community in the Liao River Basin was dominated by aquatic insect taxa (Ephemeroptera and Diptera), Oligochaeta and Molluscs. The functional feeding group GC (Gatherer/Collector) was dominant in the whole basin. Statistical results showed that sites with less watershed impacts (lower order sites) were characterized by higher current velocity and habitat score, more sensitive taxa (e.g., Ephemeroptera), and the substrate was dominated by high percentage of cobble and pebble. The sites with more impacts from agriculture and urban industry (higher order sites) were characterized by higher biochemical (BOD₅) and chemical oxygen demand (COD), more tolerant taxa (e.g., Chironominae), and the substrate was dominated by silt and sand. Agriculture and urban-industry activities have reduced habitat condition, increased organic pollutants, reduced macroinvertebrate abundance, diversity, and sensitive taxa in streams of the lower Liao River Basin. Restoration of degraded habitat condition and control of watershed organic pollutants could be potential management priorities for the Basin.     

Identification of soil contamination hotspots with veterinary antibiotics using heavy metal concentrations and leaching data—a field study in China

In regions with high livestock densities, the usage of antibiotics and metals for veterinary purposes or as growth promoters poses a risk in manured soils. We investigated to which degree the concentrations and depth distributions of Cu, Zn, Cr and As could be used as a tracer to discover contaminations with sulfonamides, tetracyclines and fluoroquinolones. Besides, we estimated the potential vertical translocation of antibiotics and compared the results to measured data. In the peri-urban region of Beijing, China, soil was sampled from agricultural fields and a dry riverbed contaminated by organic waste disposal. The antibiotic concentrations reached 110 μg kg^?1 sulfamethazine, 111 μg kg^?1 chlortetracycline and 62 μg kg^?1 enrofloxacin in the topsoil of agricultural fields. Intriguingly, total concentrations of Cu, Zn, Cr and As were smaller than 65, 130, 36 and 10 mg kg^?1 in surface soil, respectively, therewith fulfilling Chinese quality standards. Correlations between sulfamethazine concentrations and Cu or Zn suggest that in regions with high manure applications, one might use the frequently existing monitoring data for metals to identify potential pollution hotspots for antibiotics in topsoils. In the subsoils, we found sulfamethazine down to ≥2 m depth on agricultural sites and down to ≥4 m depth in the riverbed. As no translocation of metals was observed, subsoil antibiotic contamination could not be predicted from metal data. Nevertheless, sulfonamide stocks in the subsoil could be estimated with an accuracy of 35–200 % from fertilisation data and potential leaching rates. While this may not be sufficient for precise prediction of antibiotic exposure, it may very well be useful for the pre-identification of risk hotspots for subsequent in-depth assessment studies.     

Impacts of two best management practices on Pb weathering and leachability in shooting range soils

This study investigated the impacts of two best management practices (BMPs) recommended by US Environmental Protection Agency on Pb weathering and leachability in shooting range soils. The two BMPs included replacing soil berm with sand berm and periodically removing bullets or shot from a berm. A column experiment corresponding to the first BMP was conducted by mixing the bullets with sand/soil, or placing bullets on the surface of sand/soil. After a 16–18-week incubation under high or low rainfall simulations, total Pb concentrations in sand were lower than that in soil. Total leachable Pb in sand (8.48 and 5.52 μg?kg^?1) was also lower than that in soil (60.0 and 30.4 μg?kg^?1) when bullets were mixed with sand/soil; however, they were comparable when bullets were placed on the sand/soil surface. These results indicate that lower Pb concentration in the sand than in soil may be attributed to reduced weathering of bullets. Mechanical removal of Pb bullets in the field transferred Pb from large to finer particles, increasing total Pb in the soil (<2 mm) from 2,170 to 5,000 mg?kg^?1. In contrast, mechanical removal of Pb shot effectively reduced the shot in the soil by 86–92 %. Thus, we concluded that, while replacing soil berm with sand berm can slow down Pb weathering, it may increase Pb leachability in the long term. Removal of Pb bullets and Pb shot can be effective, but caution needs to be exercised to minimize the adverse impacts, especially in pistol/rifle ranges because of increased total Pb content in the soil.     

Eutrophication Prediction Using a Markov Chain Model: Application to Lakes in the Yangtze River Basin,China

Lake eutrophication is harmful and difficult to predict due to its complex evolution. As an alternative to existing mechanistic models, a Markov chain model was developed to predict the development of lake eutrophication based on an 11-year dataset in 41 lakes of the Yangtze River Basin. This model was validated using a real-time update strategy and was demonstrated to be reliable. Based on the dataset, the lake eutrophication dynamics from 2000 to 2010 were analyzed. Lakes with different trophic states from 2011 to 2050 and their responses to different water management practices were simulated based on the developed model. The simulation results show that lake eutrophication would worsen from 2011 to 2040; however, eutrophication could be significantly alleviated by changing 100 km² of hypereutrophic lakes into eutrophic lakes per year from 2010 to 2020. The nutrient conditions in most of the lakes in the Yangtze River Basin show that phosphorus control would be more efficient than nitrogen control in eutrophication management practices. This case study demonstrates the utility of Markov chain models in using prior information to predict the long-term evolution of lake eutrophication at large spatial scales. The Markov chain technique can be easily adapted to predict evolutionary processes in other disciplines.     

TiO2光催化-微滤膜分离深度净化亚甲基蓝印染废水

采用悬浮式TiO2光催化膜反应器深度净化纺织工业园区含亚甲基蓝印染废水经生物处理二级出水,利用中空纤维微滤膜进行催化剂截留分离,研究催化剂投加量、运行时间、溶解氧、搅拌方式对出水水质及膜通量的影响。结果表明:光催化会消耗体系溶解氧,鼓风曝气搅拌可同时为系统供氧,优于机械搅拌;该耦合体系的催化剂最佳投加量为1 g/L,经光催化氧化-膜组合工艺处理后水质优于GB 4287-1992《纺织染整工业污染物排放标准》的I级标准,符合建设部颁布的《生活杂用水水质标准》(CJ/T 48-1999)。     

固定化菌藻系统对污水处理厂出水的深度处理

将海藻酸钠固定化活性污泥和小球藻制成颗粒小球,以自制的流化床反应器对重庆市某污水处理厂出水进行深度处理,探讨了系统对氨氮、TP、COD的去除效果,实验结果表明:在HRT=12 h,溶解氧浓度为3.0 mg/L左右,pH值为6.2至8.0之间,环境室温条件下,系统对氨氮、TP、COD均有较好的去除效果,系统稳定运行后对氨氮、TP、COD去除率基本维持在60%、60%和30%以上,出水氨氮、TP、COD浓度基本维持在8、0.5和40 mg/L以下,出水浓度达到了《城镇污水处理厂污染物排放标准》(GB 18918-2002)的一级A标准。这项研究显示固定化菌藻胶球系统在污水处理厂出水的深度处理中具有潜在的应用前景。     

高层建筑典型外墙保温材料火蔓延特性数值模拟研究

有机保温材料被广泛应用于高层建筑外墙保温体系的同时,也可能增加高层建筑的火灾风险。本文通过计算机模拟,着重研究了保温材料之一的聚苯乙烯泡沫塑料(EPS)的火蔓延速率、失重速率及温度场分布等特性。研究结果发现:发生火灾后,外墙保温材料可以在很短的时间内自下而上蔓延至整个材料表面,并有表皮着火的现象。在火焰到达材料顶部之前,向上火蔓延占主导地位,材料中部区域明显燃烧脱落,火焰在材料两端上部继续燃烧,有向下加速蔓延的趋势;之后,火焰沿着材料中部内侧向下剧烈燃烧,材料呈V字型燃烧直至熄灭。在高层建筑外墙外保温材料火蔓延中,不同着火点情况下的燃烧速率随时间变化的趋势相似,且会形成两个波峰。