Sensitivity of Portuguese forest fires to climatic, human, and landscape variables: subnational differences between fire drivers in extreme fire years and decadal averages

Within the changing fire regimes of Portugal, the relative importance of humans and climatic variability for regional fire statistics remains poorly understood. This work investigates the statistical relationship between temporal dynamics of fire events in Portugal and a set of socioeconomic, landscape, and climatic variables for the time periods of 1980–1990, 1991–2000, and extreme fires years. For 10 of 15 districts, it was possible to observe moderate shifts in the significance of fire drivers for the first two decadal periods. For others, pronounced changes of the significance of fire drivers were found across time. Results point toward a dynamic (perhaps highly non-linear) behavior of socioeconomic and landscape fire drivers, especially during the occurrence of extreme fire years of 2003 and 2005. At country level, population density alone explained 42% of the inter-annual and inter-district deviance in number of fires. At the same temporal and spatial scale, the explanatory power of temperature anomalies proved to explain 43% of area burnt. We highlight the necessity of including a broad set of socioeconomic and landscape fire drivers in order to account for potential significance shifts. In addition, although climate does trigger broad favorable fire conditions across Portugal mainland, socioeconomic and landscape factors proved to determine much of the complex fire patterns at a subnational scale.     

Salicylic acid involved in the regulation of nutrient elements uptake and oxidative stress in Vallisneria natans (Lour.) Hara under Pb stress

In this study, the alterations in nutrient elements content, reactive oxygen species level and antioxidant response were studied in leaves of Vallisneria natans (Lour.) Hara exposed to salicylic acid (SA, 10 or 100 μM), or Pb (50 μM) or their combinations for 4 d. No significant alterations in Mn and Ca content were observed but content of Cu, Zn, Fe and P decreased in plants exposed to SA alone. SA application inhibited the uptake of Pb and partially reversed Pb-induced the alterations in Mn, Ca and Fe content in leaves of V. natans exposed to 50 μM Pb. The decreased chlorophyll (a + b) and increased malondialdehyde and O²⁻ and H₂O₂ content were detected in plants exposed to 100 μM SA, 50 μM Pb, 10 μM SA + 50 μM Pb or 100 μM SA + 50 μM Pb. Application SA partially inhibited Pb-induced the increase of malondialdehyde, O²⁻ and H₂O₂ content. 100 μM SA decreased the activity of NADH oxidase and the content of non-protein thiols, carotenoids and ascorbic acid and increased the content of dehydroascorbate in plants treated with or without Pb. SA alone decreased the ascorbate peroxidase activity and increased the catalase and peroxidase activity, while SA application increased catalase activity but had no significant effect on ascorbate peroxidase and peroxidase activity in V. natans exposed to Pb. The results indicate that SA involves in the regulation of Pb uptake, nutrient balance and oxidative stress.     

Removal of Rhodamine B under visible irradiation in the presence of Fe⁰, H₂O₂, citrate and aeration at circumneutral pH

A new Vis-Fe⁰-H₂O₂-citrate-O₂ system comprising zero-valent iron, hydrogen peroxide, citrate anion and aeration at circumneutral pH under visible irradiation was studied. 21 μmol L⁻¹ of Rhodamine B (RhB) was chosen as the substrate to be tested. Experiments were conducted under conditions of 2.9 mmol L⁻¹ of H₂O₂, 12.6 g of Fe⁰ and 1.0 mmol L⁻¹ of citrate at pH 7.5. Results showed that, in 1 h reaction, 54% of RhB was removed with corresponding 26% of COD reduced. Meanwhile, the amount of released dissolved irons from Fe⁰ surface was found to be at a very low level as <5.4 μmol L⁻¹. Extinguishing tests with isopropanol suggested that RhB oxidation by hydroxyl radicals was the main process taken place in Vis-Fe⁰-H₂O₂-citrate-O₂ system, which accounted for 75% of substrate removal in 3 h reaction. Control and factor influencing experiments showed that the prohibitive extents of individual factor importance on RhB removal followed a decreasing order of Fe⁰ > H₂O₂ > citrate > Vis > O₂. This study showed an excellent system that could remove refractory organic compounds from water in laboratory researches, and also provided a good idea to reduce secondary contamination by dissolved irons in future investigations.     

Atmospheric particle characterization, distribution, and deposition in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, Central China

Physical characterization and chemical analysis of settled dusts collected in Xi’an from November 2007 to December 2008 show that (1) dust deposition rates ranged from 14.6 to 350.4 g m⁻² yr⁻¹. The average deposition rate (76.7 g m⁻² yr⁻¹) ranks the 11th out of 56 dust deposition rates observed throughout the world. The coal-burning power was the major particle source; (2) on average (except site 4), ∼10% of the settled dusts having size <2.6, ∼30% having size <10.5, and >70% having size <30 μm; (3) the concentrations for 20 out of 27 elements analyzed were upto 18 times higher than their soil background values in China. With such high deposition rates of dusts that contain elevated levels of toxic elements, actions should be taken to reduce emission and studies are needed to assess the potential impacts of settled particles on surface ecosystem, water resource, and human health in the area.     

淀粉-g-丙烯酸/凹凸棒土复合物制备及其吸附废水中NH_4~＋-N性能

采用反相乳液聚合法以凹凸棒土为原料,合成了新型NH4＋-N吸附剂淀粉-g-丙烯酸/凹凸棒土,并进行了氨氮吸附对比实验。结果表明：凹凸棒土氨氮单位吸附量为4.243 mg/g;淀粉-g-丙烯酸/凹凸棒土氨氮单位吸附量为5.301 mg/g,吸附能力比未改性的凹凸棒土提高了25%。淀粉-g-丙烯酸/凹凸棒土的氨氮吸附过程比凹凸棒土更符合Freundlich等温吸附模型。随着pH、温度的升高,凹凸棒土和淀粉-g-丙烯酸/凹凸棒土对NH4＋-N吸附量逐渐增大。     

生物预处理/常规与常规工艺处理西江原水的对比

采用生物预处理／常规与常规工艺处理西江微污染原水,对主要污染物的去除效果工艺进行了比较。结果表明,生物预处理／常规工艺对COD_Mn、氨氮的平均去除率达48.9%、62.3%,比常规工艺提高了18.9%、28.4%。2种工艺对浊度的去除率相当,皆为95％左右。生物预处理采用高速给水曝气生物滤池工艺,反冲洗采用气水联合方式,48 h过滤水头损失＜2 kPa,冲洗前后过滤水头损失变化量均值＜0.4 kPa。     

给水曝气生物滤池内置粉末活性炭复合净水效果的研究

在给水曝气生物滤池内置粉末活性炭,对比分析其对各工艺单元水质净化效果的影响,确定给水曝气生物滤池内置粉末活性炭的作用与最佳投加量,研究表明,给水曝气生物滤池将活性炭截留在滤池内,大幅度提高了粉末活性炭利用率,部分未饱和粉末活性炭通过反冲洗排入后续常规处理系统,作为生物载体仍能够进一步发挥生物强化作用。当粉末活性炭的投加量为8 mg/L时,砂滤出水氨氮、CODMn、浊度和色度均值分别为：0.02 mg/L,1.82 mg/L0,.46 NTU和6度,去除率分别达到99.6%、71.2%、99.1%和80.6%,出水指标达到《生活饮用水卫生标准（》GB5749-2006）和《饮用净水水质标准（》CJ94-2005）规定的标准。与常规工艺相比,投加量降低了20%～60%。     

不同营养水平下悬浮细菌数量对生物粘泥性质的影响

循环水系统中的微生物有悬浮态和附着态,悬浮细菌的存在对附着态生物粘泥的生长及特性有明显影响。通过向模拟循环冷却水系统中投加不同数量初始悬浮细菌,考察在营养水平不同的情况下,悬浮细菌数量对生物粘泥化学组成和脱氢酶活性的影响。结果表明,营养水平不同,初始悬浮细菌数量对生物粘泥的化学组成和脱氢酶活性的影响程度不同;在不同营养水平下,应分别控制初始悬浮细菌数量。贫营养下,初始悬浮细菌数量应控制在6×105个/mL左右;中营养下,初始悬浮细菌数量应控制在1×105～2.6×105个/mL之间;富营养下,初始悬浮细菌数量应控制在0.11×105～2.6×105个/mL之间最不利于生物粘泥的生长。     

垂直流人工湿地水力学特性研究

通过示踪剂实验从停留时间分布（RTD）曲线及其统计特征值等方面对垂直流人工湿地的水力学特性进行了定性和定量的分析。研究表明水流在垂直流人工湿地中的流动是一种非理想的不均匀流动,存在一定的死区和水流的扩散;垂直流人工湿地较大的死区率与其表面布水的不均匀性有关,这也可能是其死区率大于表流人工湿地的最主要的原因。实验还表明,进水流量对垂直流人工湿地停留时间分布影响较大,随着进水流量的增加,平均停留时间减小,但标准平均停留时间增大,死区率减小;当进水流量为15L／h（水力负荷为620mm／d）时,水流在湿地中的散度最大,水流更接近全混流,不利于污染物的降解。     

膜生物反应器(MBR)-反渗透(RO)工艺深度处理印染废水的实验研究

采用膜生物反应器（MBR）-反渗透（RO）工艺对印染废水进行了深度处理实验。原水经MBR系统处理后,COD去除率、ss去除率和色度去除率分别达89．9％、100％和87．5％。MBR系统处理出水进入反渗透（RO）系统进行处理,硬度去除率和除盐率分别达99．62％和99．64％,同时可进一步除去剩余的COD、色度。系统出水水质满足生产回用的要求。