Deriving field-based sediment quality guidelines from the relationship between species density and contaminant level using a novel nonparametric empirical Bayesian approach

This paper describes a novel statistical approach to derive ecologically relevant sediment quality guidelines (SQGs) from field data using a nonparametric empirical Bayesian method (NEBM). We made use of the Norwegian Oil Industrial Association database and extracted concurrently obtained data on species density and contaminant levels in sediment samples collected between 1996 and 2001. In brief, effect concentrations (ECs) of each installation (i.e., oil platform) at a given reduction in species density were firstly derived by fitting a logistic-type regression function to the relationship between the species density and the corresponding concentration of a chemical of concern. The estimated ECs were further improved by the NEBM which incorporated information from other installations. The distribution of these improved ECs from all installations was determined nonparametrically by the kernel method, and then used to determine the hazardous concentration (HC) which can be directly linked to the species loss (or the species being protected) in the sediment. This method also enables an accurate estimation of the lower confidence limit of the HC, even when the number of observations was small. To illustrate the effectiveness of this novel technique, barium, cadmium, chromium, copper, mercury, lead, tetrahydrocannabinol, and zinc were chosen as example contaminants. This novel approach can generate ecologically sound SQGs for environmental risk assessment and cost-effectiveness analysis in sediment remediation or mud disposal projects, since sediment quality is closely linked to species density.     

Detection of Methamidophos in Vegetables Using a Photometric Flow Injection System

A flow injection analysis (FIA) system using immobilized acetylcholinesterase (AChE) has been used for the detection of methamidophos in vegetable extracts. Methamidophos is one of the most commonly used organophosphate insecticides in South East Asia. AChE was immobilized onto magnetic particles; using a magnetic reactor, the particles could easily be separated from the test sample. Results show that complex matrices such as vegetable extracts have no inhibitory effect on AChE activity in the FIA system. The presence of methamidophos in the extracts caused AChE inhibition. The response could be followed as an inhibition curve and the inhibition constant calculated. Results show that using 85% AChE residual activity as the detection limit, methamidophos could be detected in lettuce and cabbage at 12 and 3 mg/kg vegetable material respectively. In a simulated field situation, cabbage leaves were spiked with 20 to 40 mg/kg methamidophos, homogenized and tested in the FIA system. The corresponding methamidophos levels predicted by the experimental results came very close to the known calculated values. Data presented here suggest that it is feasible to use this system to supplement the traditional chromatographic analysis methods for methamidophos analysis.     

慢速渗滤土地处理设计参数的研究

由于慢速渗滤土地处理系统对污水中的有机污染物有较高的去除能力,且城市污水的有机污染物浓度远低于系统的处理负荷量,故系统的设计参数受污水中氮浓度控制.试验表明,BOD_5负荷率高达3.57g/m~2·d仍不会影响系统的工艺性能,但氮负荷率一般不应超过0.6—0.7g/m~2·d.由氮极限值确定的水力负荷率为3—6m/a.在规定的负荷率下,投配水深采用<7cm,4—5天投配一次污水的投配频率是适宜的.     

石墨矿废弃地生态复垦研究

通过现场试验和小区工程措施,研究了石墨矿废弃地的生态复垦问题并建立了复垦示范田。结果表明,通过一定的技术工程措施石墨矿废弃矿坑和尾渣堆的复垦土地的理化性质基本达到了当地农业耕地的水平。从技术、经济的角度分析,石墨矿废弃地复垦的关键是耕种层的熟土配比。经筛选后的矿渣或矿毛与熟土按1:1或1:2的比例混配都可达到生态复垦的目的,但是前者的保水、供水、供肥能力不及后者。     

How to make climate change research relevant for Indigenous communities in Torres Strait,Australia

Several Torres Strait communities have significant infrastructure and sacred sites located only a few metres above sea level. As a consequence, these areas are vulnerable to erosion due to the projected increase in storm surge intensity caused by climate change. Common sense suggests that Islanders would welcome new scientific research about how climate change might affect them, in order to understand the significance of these impacts and the timeframes involved. However, one leader has taken a seemingly counterintuitive stance, and has refused to let new climate research occur. We explore why this position was taken, and the implications of this decision for ongoing scientific research. In order to carry out this analysis, we provide a contextual background by assessing Islanders' recent experience with scientific researchers, and the response of policy-makers to it. We find that despite a clearly documented problem with “top-down” decision-making, this process remains. In this instance, we find that there is a systemic lack of collaboration with Islanders to allow them to prioritise their concerns, and a lack of adequate resources to allow them to build their resilience to climate impacts. We conclude that only through a genuine collaborative approach to climate adaptation can activities be properly developed, prioritised and undertaken.     

Moving beyond the conceptual: specificity in regional climate change adaptation actions for biodiversity in South East Queensland,Australia

While many scientific assessments have been recommending general strategies for biodiversity conservation under climate change, translation of these recommendations into specific actions and practice has been limited. Focusing on two biomes, rainforest and wetlands in biodiverse South East Queensland, Australia, we demonstrate how general principles can be translated into specific actions for stakeholders and responsible agencies. We synthesize research that is contextualizing protection of refugia and habitat connectivity, establishing baseline data sets to detect change and developing strategic conservation planning scenarios to adjust reserve boundaries or situate new reserves. This has been achieved by coupling spatial information on biological assets (i.e. ecosystems and species) with future climate scenarios and process models to anticipate movement of critical habitats. Conservation planning software is also being used to prioritize investment to meet specific objectives. This approach is enabling us to identify at-risk biological assets, opportunities to ameliorate threats and obstacles to delivering regional adaptation actions. A larger total reserved area is needed, with proactive planning to capture areas further inland and along watercourses. Major obstacles include conflict between urbanization and priorities for habitat conservation and the need for greater levels of investment for monitoring programmes and to protect landward shifted wetlands on private land.     

奶牛粪便翻堆式与槽式堆肥过程气体排放规律及养分损失原位监测

为探究奶牛粪便翻堆式与槽式堆肥过程中温室气体和氨气(NH3)排放规律及养分损失情况,采用原位监测的方法,通过静态采气箱和气体在线监测设备,分别对奶牛粪便翻堆式和槽式堆体开展为期36 d的气体监测.结果表明,翻堆式堆肥过程中甲烷(CH4)、氧化亚氮(N2O)和NH3排放主要集中于翻堆阶段;槽式堆肥过程中CH4和NH3排放...     

Accumulation of Pb, Cu, and Zn in native plants growing on contaminated sites and their potential accumulation capacity in Heqing, Yunnan

Phytoremediation is one of the cost-effective and environmental friendly technologies used to remove contaminants from contaminated soils,which has been intensively studied during the last decade.Presently,few economical and effective remediation methods are available for the remediation of Pb contaminated sites.This study was conducted to assess the potential of 19 plants growing on contaminated sites in Pb mine area.Plants and associated soil samples were collected and analyzed for total metal concentrati...     

城市感潮河流溶解氧收支及调控的模拟研究

城市感潮河段受径流、潮汐动力及流域排污等多重影响,易引发河道缺氧现象.通过建立潭江(开平段)二维水动力水质模型,并采用拉格朗日粒子示踪、情景分析等手段,研究水流输运、生化反应过程对溶解氧的影响,进而探索提升关键断面溶解氧浓度的调控策略.结果表明：(1)潭江干流上游水团输送比支流镇海水更快,且同等增量下,潭江干流流量变化对下游影响更大;但对潭江干流开平市区下游新美断面污染贡献中,镇海水对其总磷(TP)污染贡献较大,而新昌水对其总氮(TN)污染贡献较大;(2)新美断面、镇海水的娄冈断面及新昌水的公义断面均为耗氧断面;水体有机物耗氧是本区域溶解氧消耗的主要过程,占总消耗的64.4%,其次为底泥耗氧,占总消耗的32.5%;水体中氧气的主要来源为浮游植物的光合作用,占比约64.6%;(3)增加上游流量、下移城区排口位置或削减上游临近城区污染源均可提高下游溶解氧浓度;与镇海水相比,提高潭江干流流量的效果更为明显;下移城区排口位置虽有效果但可操作性较弱.     

An application of a conditional logistic regression to study the effects of safety belts, principal impact points, and car weights on drivers' fatalities

In addition to experimental trials in automotive factories, there is a fundamental need to monitor real people involved in real motor vehicle collisions to determine the impact of automotive design characteristics on injury mortality. To aid in designing future safety features for drivers' seats, data from the Fatal Accident Reporting System (FARS) were used to assess the effects of safety belts, directions of crash impacts, age, sex, and car weights on motor vehicle injury fatalities. Furthermore, because the FARS includes only accidents in which there was at least one fatality, this paper introduces a multivariate approach — a logistic regression conditioned on each accident —to avoid the sampling biases inherent in the FARS. The resulting model is used to quantify the relations among the safety belts, the directions of crash impacts, and vehicle weights and their effects on fatalities. Recause the proposed approach allows researchers to study many important variables simultaneously and eliminates the biases resulting from many possible confounders, the estimates presented in this paper are considered to be more precise and more firmly established than earlier estimates. The new approach to analyzing the FARS data will also be useful for investigating the effects of other risk factors or automotive characteristics on crash fatalities.