Water pollution in Pakistan and its impact on public health--a review

Water pollution is one of the major threats to public health in Pakistan. Drinking water quality is poorly managed and monitored. Pakistan ranks at number 80 among 122 nations regarding drinking water quality. Drinking water sources, both surface and groundwater are contaminated with coliforms, toxic metals and pesticides throughout the country. Various drinking water quality parameters set by WHO are frequently violated. Human activities like improper disposal of municipal and industrial effluents and indiscriminate applications of agrochemicals in agriculture are the main factors contributing to the deterioration of water quality. Microbial and chemical pollutants are the main factors responsible exclusively or in combination for various public health problems. This review discusses a detailed layout of drinking water quality in Pakistan with special emphasis on major pollutants, sources of pollution and the consequent health problems. The data presented in this review are extracted from various studies published in national and international journals. Also reports released by the government and non-governmental organizations are included.     

The Convergence Analysis on the Economic Growth and Energy Intensity Gap between Regional Sectors

In this paper,the authors have analyzed the relationship between energy intensity gap and GDP per worker gap of China’s western and eastern provinces over the period 1997-2006.Using panel data model with lag adjustment,taking the above provinces and six industrial sectors (agriculture,forestry,animal husbandry,and fisheries,industry,construction industry,transport,storage and post & telecommunications,wholesale and retail trades & catering industry,and other sectors of tertiary industry.) as the investigated subjects,the authors have conducted empirical study on the convergence of GDP per worker gap and the convergence of energy intensity gap with respect to the variation of GDP per worker gap,and have concluded that:First,the GDP per worker gap of the six industrial sectors and provinces are convergent,and of this,the convergence rate of GDP per worker gap of Construction Industry is the fastest,while that of Industry is the slowest.Second,the overall energy intensity gap between eastern and western provinces is convergent,that is,with the narrowing of GDP per worker gap between eastern and western provinces,the energy intensity gap converges,but its convergence rate is slower than that of GDP per worker gap.Third,energy intensity gap between various industrial sectors of the east and the west is either convergent or divergent,and there are differences.The energy intensity gap of agriculture,forestry,animal husbandry,and fisheries,industry,and construction industry is convergent,while that of the other three industrial sectors is divergent.Fourth,the convergence of the overall energy intensity of the western provinces is not in conformity with the convergence of the various industrial sectors,and there are significant differences,indicating that the western provinces and autonomous regions should take measures to more effectively improve their overall energy utilization efficiency at the industrial sector level.     

中国人口结构对碳排放量影响研究

从人口结构角度探讨碳排放问题,有利于正确判断和把握影响碳排放量的人口因素,有的放矢地制定碳减排政策,应对我国经济发展方式的转变有着重要的理论和现实意义.本文利用我国1995-2007年碳排放量、人口总数、人口的城市化率、老龄化率和反映人口消费结构的恩格尔系数第二产业从业人口比重等时间序列数据,运用协整理论、格兰杰因果检验和多元回归模型作为分析工具,对我国人口结构与碳排放量之间的关系做了实证分析.结果发现:①1995-2007年间,人口结构中的人口城市化率、人口的消费结构、第二产业从业人口比重对碳排放量均存在正向影响,而人口规模对碳排放量的影响在模型中却表现为负效应;②相对于人口规模,人口的结构特征对碳排放量的影响越来越大,其中人口的城市化率对碳排放量的正向影响最大,说明中国的碳排放量与城市化的进程存在着密切关系;③人口的老龄化对二氧化碳排放量具有负效应,人口老龄化的加快对长期碳排放有抑制作用,所以在未来实现碳减排会逐渐成为可能.最后,针对分析结果,探讨了未来我国的碳减排策略,以期能有效地控制人口因素对我国碳排放增长的影响.     

Transport of particulate matter in natural waters — modelling and in situ-measurements

The significant processes controlling the fate of particulates are convection an dispersion on one hand, and sedimentation on the other hand. Due to inteparticulated reactions, larger aggregates can be formed from smaller units thus changing the sedimentation characteristics. These phenomena are summarized in a mathematical model whereby hydrodynamic effects as well as the control mechanisms of the dissolved phase are included. A relationship was derived on the basis of energy considerations leading to the formulation of a critical sedimentation velocity of the suspensa, which determines the transport capacity of the flowing system. The sedimentation term is calculated from the above discussed transport capacity, hydro-dynamic parameters and suspending media properties. Aggregation effects are taken into account as an increase of sedimentation velocities of the particles. The equations are solved in a particular computational routine such that the horizontal distribution of suspended solids in a natural system can be describe as function of the above discussed phenomena. The model was tested with in situ-measurements. It was found that the observed processes are described satisfactorily by this model.     

累积影响评价:中国内地与香港的问题与实践探讨

将过去、现在和将来的其它活动包括在建议活动的评价范围 ,是累积影响评价区别于传统EIA的重要特征和关键环节 ,也是EIA进一步发展完善的重要趋势 .从法规要求、文本格式、时空范围、重点内容、减缓措施等方面 ,分析了内地和香港在环评实践过程中对累积影响的考虑状况及存在问题 .建议制定累积影响评价的技术方法导则 ,以法规的形式明确提出在项目、区域及策略环评中增加累积影响评价的内容 ,累积影响应在环评报告的摘要、目录及结论中专门列出 ,对累积影响时空范围的界定及重要性的判断应专门提供支持依据 ,评价的重点应较多地关注生态完整性、社会经济影响及全球性环境影响等 ,以更有效地预防累积环境影响问题 .     

环保产业的战略价值与调控激励机制探讨

环保产业对人类社会的持续协调发展具有巨大的价值贡献 ,是战略性产业。人们应借鉴国际经验并结合国情 ,建立我国环保产业有效的调控激励机制 :从加强环保产业的驱动因素入手 ,制定有效的产业扶植政策 ,加强技术创新 ,构筑环保产业大市场格局 ,促进环保产业向深层次快速发展。 更多还原      

北京森林土壤富里酸亚组分的表征及荧光指标分析

为探究土壤FA（富里酸）的结构组成及其腐殖化和芳香性特征,采用SFS（同步荧光光谱）技术结合FRI（荧光区域积分）、DSFS（导数荧光光谱）及PCA（主成分分析）对土壤FA亚组分的荧光光谱特征及荧光指标间的相关性进行了分析.利用XAD-8吸附树脂结合初始pH为3、5、7、9和13的Na₄P₂O₇（焦磷酸钠）缓冲溶液逐步洗脱技术将土壤FA分别分级得5种亚组分（FA₃、FA₅、FA₇、FA₉和FA₁₃）.结果表明:①FA₃-FA₁₃的SFS体现3类荧光峰,分别代表类蛋白、类富里酸和类腐殖酸物质.FA₃和FA₅含有含量相近的类蛋白、类富里酸和类腐殖酸物质,而FA₇-FA₁₃含有的主要成分是类蛋白物质;同时,FA₇-FA₁₃的类富里酸和类腐殖酸较FA₃和FA₅更为复杂,且FA₇-FA₁₃含有更多易降解的单环芳香族化合物.②FA₃和FA₅的类酪氨酸和类色氨酸物质被识别,且FA₇-FA₁₃的类色氨酸含量明显大于类富里酸和类腐殖酸含量.③FA₃-FA₁₃光谱荧光强度指标（I₂₄₀/I₃₄₀、I₂₄₀/I₄₅₀、I₃₄₀/I₂₇₀、I₄₅₀/I₂₇₀和I₄₅₀/I₃₄₀）的对比分析表明,FA₃和FA₅的腐殖化程度和芳香性均大于FA₇-FA₁₃.④荧光指标A_FLR/A、A_HLR/A、S_270-340、S_270-450、A₂/A₁和A₃/A₁可作为指示亚组分芳香性的优化指标,且A_HLR/A、A₂/A₁和A₃/A₁可作为最佳指标反映亚组分的腐殖化程度.研究显示,土壤FA亚组分的结构表征及荧光指标分析为后续FA亚组分与环境污染物相互机理研究提供依据,为探究有机质的结构特性和环境行为提供理论支撑.      

外源Cl-添加对不同母质土壤溶液Cd2+浓度的影响

土壤镉(Cd)的环境行为与其在土壤溶液中的存在形态以及陪伴离子有关,然而外源Cl~-与土壤溶液中Cd~(2+)的关系以及不同母质土壤对Cd~(2+)的环境行为的影响并没有明确的结论.选取2种水稻土(第四纪红色黏土母质发育的红黄泥、紫色砂页岩母质发育的紫泥田)为研究对象,添加离子态外源Cd~(2+)(0、1、2.5、5 mg·kg~(-1)),平衡老化后添加外源Cl~-(0、0.6、1.2 mg·kg~(-1)),在保持水分恒定的情况下进行模拟培养试验,研究外源Cl~-添加对土壤溶液Cd~(2+)浓度的影响.结果表明,随着外源Cd~(2+)的增加,土壤溶液Cd~(2+)的浓度提高,红黄泥土壤溶液Cd~(2+)的浓度显著高于紫泥田;添加Cl~-会使土壤溶液中Cd~(2+)浓度升高,且Cd~(2+)浓度与外源Cl~-呈显著正相关,红黄泥和紫泥田土壤溶液中Cd~(2+)的平均浓度比不添加Cl~-时Cd~(2+)的平均浓度分别增加了12.74%、51.49%;土壤对Cd~(2+)的吸附关系符合Freundlich等温吸附方程,紫泥田对Cd~(2+)的吸附量显著高于红黄泥,添加Cl~-对红黄泥Cd~(2+)的吸附影响很小,而对紫泥田的影响显著.Cl~-存在下,红黄泥和紫泥田的解吸率分别为12.50%～19.25%、14.76%～24.99%,外源Cl~-添加对Cd~(2+)解吸影响小.综合分析认为,Cl~-对不同土壤Cd~(2+)的吸附解吸行为影响有较大的差异.