The main and added effects of heat on mortality in 33 Chinese cities from 2007 to 2013

● The main and added effect from heat co-existed in China. ● Both of the main and added effect could increase the mortality risk of population. ● Females, the elderly, the less educated and inland residents were more vulnerable. Increases in ambient temperatures and the frequency of extreme heat events constitute important burdens on global public health. However, evidence on their effects on public health is limited and inconclusive in China. In this study, data on daily deaths recorded in 33 Chinese cities from 2007 to 2013 was used to evaluate the effect of heat on mortality in China. In addition to the definition of a heatwave established by the China Meteorological Administration, we combined four city-specific relative thresholds (90th, 92.5th, 95th, and 97.5th percentiles) of the daily mean temperature during the study period and three durations of ≥ 2, ≥ 3, and ≥ 4 days, from which 13 heatwave definitions were developed. Then, we estimated the main and added effects of heat at the city level using a quasi-Poisson generalized additive model combined with a distributed lag nonlinear model. Next, the estimates for the effects were pooled at the national level using a multivariable meta-analysis. Subgroup analysis was performed according to sex, age, educational attainment, and spatially stratified heterogeneity. The results showed that the mortality risk increased from 22.3% to 37.1% due to the effects of the different heatwave definitions. The added effects were much lower, with the highest increase of 3.9% (95% CI: 1.7%–6.1%) in mortality risk. Females, the elderly, populations with low educational levels, and populations living inland in China were found to be the most vulnerable to the detrimental effects of heat. These findings have important implications for the improvement of early warning systems for heatwaves.     

Evaluating the effect of rainfall variability on vegetation establishment in a semidesert grassland

Of the operations required for reclamation in arid and semi-arid regions, establishing vegetation entails the most uncertainty due to reliance on unpredictable rainfall for seed germination and seedling establishment. The frequency of successful vegetation establishment was estimated based on a land surface model driven by hourly atmospheric forcing data, 7 years of eddy-flux data, and 31 years of rainfall data at two adjacent sites in southern Arizona, USA. Two scenarios differing in the required imbibition time for successful germination were evaluated—2 or 3 days availability of sufficient surface moisture. Establishment success was assumed to occur if plants could germinate and if the drying front in the soil did not overtake the growth of seminal roots. Based on our results, vegetation establishment could be expected to fail in 32 % of years. In the worst 10-year span, six of ten plantings would have failed. In the best 10-year span, only one of ten was projected to fail. Across all assessments, at most 3 years in a row failed and 6 years in a row were successful. Funding for reclamation seeding must be available to allow reseeding the following year if sufficient amount and timing of rainfall does not occur.     

Modeling the dispersion of drilling muds using the bblt model: the effects of settling velocity

The benthic boundary layer transport (bblt) model was widely used in the Atlantic Canadian offshore region to assess the potential impact zones from drilling wastes discharges from offshore oil and gas drilling. The current version of the bblt uses a single-class settling velocity scenario, which may affect its performance, as settling velocity is size, shape, and material dependent. In this study, the effects of settling velocity on bblt predictions were assessed by replacing this single-class settling velocity scenario with a multi-class size-dependent settling velocity scenario. The new scenario was used in a hypothetical study to simulate the dispersion of barite and fine-grained drilling cuttings. The study showed that the effects of settling velocity on bblt predictions are spatial, temporal, and material dependent.     

等离子体催化氧化恶臭污染物的试验

尝试用一种等离子体光催化复合技术净化污水处理泵站臭气,研究表明,该种复合技术具有较显著的协同促进效应,通过改变等离子体发生单元与光催化单元的距离以及在两者之间放置去静电网,可消除等离子体单元产生的负电荷对光催化单元的不利影响,进一步提高其复合效应。在此还对这一复合技术产生协同效应的机理进行了分析,并在污水处理泵站实地考查了这种复合技术对臭气的净化效果。     

桂林市桃花江流域水污染现状分析及对策

分析了桂林市桃花江流域中存在的污染问题和产生这些问题的原因,探讨了解决这些问题的对策。     

计算机技术在矿山应急救援中的应用研究

本文将计算机技术与矿山应急救援相结合,为矿山应急救援提供了一种新的途径,也为人工智能在新的领域内的应用进行新的尝试。     

室内空气污染的防治对策

本文根据室内空气污染物的特性,从污染源控制、法律法规、建筑管理以及其他控制措施等方面,有针对性地提出了各种室内空气污染的防治对策,从而达到改善室内环境空气质量的目的。     

酸雨的危害及其防治综述

从酸雨的研究历史出发,阐述了酸雨的形成和分布,指出酸雨是一种全球性的环境问题;酸雨对生态系统、人类健康、材料等都具有很大危害.通过对近几年我国酸雨状况调查,分析发现我国酸雨面积和程度呈现继续扩大的趋势.最后,结合我国典型的硫酸型酸雨特征,提出了可行的防治酸雨的具体对策.     

Occurrence and possible sources of polychlorinated biphenyls in surface sediments from the Wuhan reach of the Yangtze River, China

Twenty-seven surface sediment samples were collected from the mainstream and eight tributaries of the Wuhan reach of the Yangtze River, China, in 2005, in order to assess the distribution, possible sources, and potential risk of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the environment. The total concentrations of PCBs (the sum of 39 congeners) ranged from 1.2 to 45.1 ng g⁻¹ dry weight, with a mean value of 9.2 ng g⁻¹. Sediment samples with the highest PCB concentrations came from the tributary sites, which are closer to PCB sources. Conversely, PCB concentrations in the sediment from the mainstream sites of Yangtze River were relatively low. The observed PCB levels were higher than those found in the sediments of other rivers in China, but lower than those in river sediments from other urban areas and harbors around the world. Low-chlorinated PCBs, dominated by tetra-PCBs and penta-PCBs, were identified as being prevalent in the surface sediments. Correlation analyses between the PCBs and the geochemistry and heavy metal content of the sediments suggest that the washing of these compounds from the land into the river by floods and heavy rains, or industrial wastewater and domestic sewage, may be the major sources of the PCBs. According to established sediment quality guidelines, the risk of adverse biological effects from the levels of PCBs recorded at most of the studied sites should be insignificant, although the higher concentrations at other sites could cause acute biological damage.     

厌氧暗发酵产氢细菌研究进展

厌氧暗发酵产氢细菌可在暗环境下分解有机物,产生氢气,在厌氧发酵制氢技术发展中发挥重要作用.对近年来国内外产氢细菌的分离、生理特性、产氢能力研究以及实际应用等方面的进展进行了综述,提出了目前产氢细菌研究存在的问题,认为应加强高效产氢细菌的分离、菌群间代谢网络构建以及弱化产氢过程中有机挥发酸的反馈抑制等方面的研究.