Emergy-based evaluation of system sustainability and ecosystem value of a large-scale constructed wetland in North China

Constructed wetland has been widely adopted to deal with degraded natural wetlands and water bodies; thus, more attention should be focused on ecological–economic sustainability and ecological efficiency of these projects for long-term success. Emergy accounting was conducted to investigate the energy and resource flows in constructed wetlands during the restoration process. Emergy-based indexes were adopted to evaluate the sustainability of a pilot large-scale constructed wetland in a large wetland restoration project in North China, carried out to enhance the river water quality and offset the degradation of natural wetland. Emergy and emdollar values for ecosystem services and natural capital were also calculated. The results showed that when outflow was considered as the product, the studied large-scale constructed wetland was more self-supporting and could be operated with lesser financial investment, although the waste treatment efficiency and the sustainability index were lower than conventional small-scale treatment constructed wetlands. Compared with natural wetlands, more visits from tourists and lesser financial investment coming in as feedback into the wetland would reduce system environment loading and promote system self-support ability, ultimately generating sustainability. In addition, the studied large-scale constructed wetland can effectively simulate energy and resource flows of natural wetland ecosystem and contribute a roughly equal value of ecosystem services in term of gross primary production. The studied large-scale constructed wetland can successfully achieve ecosystem functions as replacement for natural wetland and hasten the restoration process, although the restoration effectiveness of ecosystem structures in terms of living biomass and water using emergy-value accounting is still inconclusive.     

Heavy metal contamination in a vulnerable mangrove swamp in South China

Concentrations of six heavy metals (Cu, Ni, Zn, Cd, Cr, and Pb) in sediments and fine roots, thick roots, branches, and leaves of six mangrove plant species collected from the Futian mangrove forest, South China were measured. The results show that both the sediments and plants in Futian mangrove ecosystem are moderately contaminated by heavy metals, with the main contaminants being Zn and Cu. All investigated metals showed very similar distribution patterns in the sediments, implying that they had the same anthropogenic source(s). High accumulations of the heavy metals were observed in the root tissues, especially the fine roots, and much lower concentrations in the other organs. This indicates that the roots strongly immobilize the heavy metals and (hence) that mangrove plants possess mechanisms that limit the upward transport of heavy metals and exclude them from sensitive tissues. The growth performance of propagules and 6-month-old seedlings of Bruguiera gymnorhiza in the presence of contaminating Cu and Cd was also examined. The results show that this plant is not sufficiently sensitive to heavy metals after its propagule stage for its regeneration and growth to be significantly affected by heavy metal contamination in the Futian mangrove ecosystem. However, older mangrove seedlings appeared to be more metal-tolerant than the younger seedlings due to their more efficient exclusion mechanism. Thus, the effects of metal contamination on young seedlings should be assessed when evaluating the risks posed by heavy metals in an ecosystem.     

Distribution and source analysis of aluminum in rivers near Xi’an City, China

To study the status and source of aluminum (Al) contamination, a total of 21 sampling sites along six rivers near Xi’an City (Shaanxi province, China) were investigated during 2008–2010. The results indicated that the average concentration of total Al (Al_t) in the six rivers increased by 1.6 times from 2008 to 2010. The spatial distribution of Al_t concentrations in the rivers near Xi’an City was significantly different, ranged from 367 μg/L (Bahe River) to 1,978 μg/L (Taiping River). The Al_t concentration was highest near an industrial area for pulp and paper-making (2,773 μg/L), where the Al level greatly exceeded the water quality criteria of both the USA (Criterion Continuous Concentration, 87 μg/L) and Canada (100 μg/L). The average concentration of inorganic monometric aluminum (Al_im) was 72 μg/L which would pose threats to fishes and other aquatic lives in the rivers. The concentrations of exchangeable Al (Al_ex) in the sediment of the Taiping River sampled were relatively high, making it to be an alternative explanation of increasing Al concentrations in the rivers near Xi’an City. Furthermore, an increasing Al level has been detected in the upstream watershed near Xi’an City in recent years, which might indicate another notable pollution source of Al.     

Load estimation and source apportionment of nonpoint source nitrogen and phosphorus based on integrated application of SLURP model, ECM, and RUSLE: a case study in the Jinjiang River, China

The nonpoint source (NPS) pollution is difficult to manage and control due to its complicated generation and formation. Load estimation and source apportionment are an important and necessary process for efficient NPS control. Here, an integrated application of semi-distributed land use-based runoff process (SLURP) model, export coefficients model (ECM), and revise universal soil loss equation (RUSLE) for the load estimation and source apportionment of nitrogen and phosphorus was proposed. The Jinjiang River (China) was chosen for the evaluation of the method proposed here. The chosen watershed was divided into 27 subbasins. After which, the SLURP model was used to calculate land use runoff and to estimate loads of dissolved nitrogen and phosphorus, and ECM was applied to estimate dissolved loads from livestock and rural domestic sewage. Next, the RUSLE was employed for load estimation of adsorbed nitrogen and phosphorus. The results showed that the 12,029.06 t?a^?1 pollution loads of total NPS nitrogen (TN) mainly originated from dissolved nitrogen (96.24 %). The major sources of TN were land use runoff, which accounted for 45.97 % of the total, followed by livestock (32.43 %) and rural domestic sewage (17.83 %). For total NPS phosphorous (TP), its pollution loads were 570.82 t?a^?1 and made up of dissolved and adsorbed phosphorous with 66.29 and 33.71 % respectively. Soil erosion, land use runoff, rural domestic sewage, and livestock were the main sources of phosphorus with contribution ratios of 33.71, 45.73, 14.32, and 6.24 % respectively. Therefore, land use runoff, livestock, and soil erosion were identified as the main pollution sources to influence loads of NPS nitrogen and phosphorus in the Jinjiang River and should be controlled first. The method developed here provided a helpful guideline for conducting NPS pollution management in similar watershed.     

半导体行业挥发性有机物(VOCs)排放特征研究

采用工艺调查与现场监测相结合的方法,研究了半导体行业废气排放中VOCs的种类和排放水平.结果表明,共检测出26种有机物,其中以异丙醇排放量最大.采用排放系数法估算了该行业VOCs2004年的排放量和2010年的预期排放量,并提出了加强和完善排放标准控制以及清洁生产等控制措施的建议.     

Effects of environmental factors on the production and release of matrix-bound phosphine from lake sediments

Effects of pH, temperature, and oxygen on the production and release of phosphine in eutrophic lake sediments were investigated under laboratory tests. Results indicated that the elimination of matrix-bound phosphine was accelerated under initial pH 1 or 12. Phosphine levels could reach maximum under initial pH 10. The contents of phosphine increased with the addition of alkali under pH 4–12. The rates of phosphine production and release from lake sediments varied with temperature. 20°C was the most favorable temperature for the production of matrix-bound phosphine. Oxygen showed little effect on matrix-bound phosphine. Matrix-bound phosphine concentrations in lake sediments were concluded to be dependent on a balance of natural generation and depletion processes. Translated from Acta Scientise Circumstantiae, 2005, 25(5): 681–685 [译自: 环境科学学报]     

模拟医疗废物在管式电阻炉上的热解特性研究

在管式电阻炉上对由聚丙烯、面巾纸、纱布、医用脱脂棉、一次性口罩、医用乳胶手套等按一定比例组成的模拟医疗废物在氮气气氛进行了热解研究。重点探讨了10K／min，20K／min，30K／min和40K／min等不同升温速率对热解产物分布、产气特性和热解过程的影响。结果表明，随着温度升高，模拟废物的热解产生气体的主要成分逐渐由CO2和CO转变为C3H6、CH4、C2H6、C2H4和C3H8。同时，热解处理对模拟废物的减量化效果比较明显，固体残留率仅为5．61％～7．02％。而且，加热速率对模拟医疗废物热解过程的影响较大。     

A Simulation of Temporal and Spatial Variations in Carbon at Landscape Level: A Case Study for Lake Abitibi Model Forest in Ontario,Canada

Using a case study of the Lake Abitibi Model Forest (LAMF), this study aims to assess the temporal and spatial variability in carbon storage during 1990–2000, and to present a comprehensive estimation of the carbon budget for LAMF's ecosystems. As well, it provided the information needed by local forest managers to develop ecological and carbon-based indicators and monitor the sustainability of forest ecosystems. Temporal and spatial carbon dynamics were simulated at the landscape level using ecosystem model TRIPLEX1.0 and Geographical Information System (GIS). The simulated net primary productivity (NPP) and carbon storage in forest biomass and soil were compared with field data and results from other studies for Canada's boreal forests. The results show that simulated NPP ranged from 3.26 to 3.34 tC ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ in the 1990s and was consistent with the range measured during the Boreal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Studies (BOREAS) in central Canada. Modeled NPP was also compared with the estimation from remote sensing data. The density of total above-and belowground biomass was 125.3, 111.8, and 106.5 tC ha⁻¹ for black spruce, trembling aspen, and jack pine in the LAMF ecosystem, respectively. The total carbon density of forested land was estimated at 154.4 tC ha⁻¹ with the proportion of 4:6 for total biomass and soil. The analysis of net carbon balance of ecosystem suggested that the LAMF forest ecosystem was acting as a carbon sink with an allowable harvest in the 1990s.     

铁炭内电解法处理染料废水的试验

文章采用铁屑一活性炭内电解法作为光合细菌生化处理染料废水的预处理方法，考查了3个主要影响因素（铁炭比、停留时间、初始pH值）。结果表明，最佳的处理条件为：铁炭比为7：3，pH值为5，停留时间为60min。在上述最佳处理条件下，对初始COD为6790mg／L的染料废水处理效率可以达到66．1％，并且废水经预处理后可生化性得到大大提高，有利于后续生化处理的进行。     

内电解组合工艺处理重度富营养化水体的初步中试试验

采用催化铁内电解-沸石床-生物活性炭组合工艺进行了处理重度富营养化水的中试试验.通过对进水与出水浊度、TP、CODMn、UV254、总铁、NH3-N、和NO2--N的监测,研究了本组合工艺对重度富营养化水体的处理性能.试验期间,水温约在10℃.初步结果表明,本组合工艺对浊度、TP、CODMn和UV254均有较好的去除作用,平均去除率达到50%以上,出水中铁含量均低于进水.由于水温过低,未观察到氨氮和亚硝酸盐氮的明显变化.