The disappearing sustainability triangle: community level considerations

This article challenges the application of the sustainability triangle to conceptualise sustainable development by looking at how weak sustainability can be obtained via the reinforcing increase in social capital and natural capital. Sustainable development is often visualised as a triangle consisting of social, environmental, and economic aspects. Would it be possible to conceive a flattened system, with diminishing economic resources or without refilling financial resources? The possibility involves mutual reinforcement between social capital and natural capital. The consideration of the diminishing economic dimension relates to the concept of development without economic growth, such as degrowth, zero-growth, and sustainable growth, that has been revived in the face of the recent economic crisis. Several countries have imposed extreme budget cuts in development collaboration and in other government expenditures. When the economic resource is not at a satisfactory level, can we rely on the reinforcement between social and environmental aspects for sustainability? Although it is not new to acknowledge the contribution of social capital to environmental conservation, research has long ignored the reinforcing relationship between environmental and social dimensions. This article provides a prototype model to demonstrate how social capital and natural capital can reinforce each other. The prototype is studied and verified at the community level using a comparative method. This article concludes with principles and practices that may encourage sustainability with merely the reinforcement between social capital and natural capital.     

Enhanced cross-flow filtration with flat-sheet ceramic membranes by titanium-based coagulation for membrane fouling control

• Ceramic membrane filtration showed high performance for surface water treatment. • PTC pre-coagulation could enhance ceramic membrane filtration performance. • Ceramic membrane fouling was investigated by four varied mathematical models. • PTC pre-coagulation was high-effective for ceramic membrane fouling control. Application of ceramic membrane (CM) with outstanding characteristics, such as high flux and chemical-resistance, is inevitably restricted by membrane fouling. Coagulation was an economical and effective technology for membrane fouling control. This study investigated the filtration performance of ceramic membrane enhanced by the emerging titanium-based coagulant (polytitanium chloride, PTC). Particular attention was paid to the simulation of ceramic membrane fouling using four widely used mathematical models. Results show that filtration of the PTC-coagulated effluent using flat-sheet ceramic membrane achieved the removal of organic matter up to 78.0%. Permeate flux of ceramic membrane filtration reached 600 L/(m²·h), which was 10-fold higher than that observed with conventional polyaluminum chloride (PAC) case. For PTC, fouling of the ceramic membrane was attributed to the formation of cake layer, whereas for PAC, standard filtration/intermediate filtration (blocking of membrane pores) was also a key fouling mechanism. To sum up, cross-flow filtration with flat-sheet ceramic membranes could be significantly enhanced by titanium-based coagulation to produce both high-quality filtrate and high-permeation flux.     

Impact of different pretreatments on the anaerobic digestion performance of cucumber vine

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Copious amounts of cucumber vine (CV) derived from crop growing and harvesting are casually discarded in the field, posing severely negative impacts...     

海河流域近500年大旱大涝时空特征及趋势预测

作者选择记录年代较长、系统性较好、分布均匀的十八个站作为海河流域的代表站，分别统计了近５００年及每世纪、各年代大旱大涝的出现频数，探讨了它的时空分布特征。还根据天文、气候背景制作了１９９５～２０１０年旱涝趋势预测。研究表明，１９９５～２０１０年海河流域大致处于太阳活动２３周的黑子低值位相和第２４周的高值位相之间，同时又处在太阳黑子世纪周期的下降段。从全国旱涝型指数和北京地区旱涝等级变化曲线看，目前海河流域正处于持续下降期，未来将进入湿润多雨阶段     

Structural investigation of catalyst deactivation of Pt/SDB for catalytic oxidation of VOC-containing wastewater

The stability of styrene-divinyl benzene copolymer (SDB)-supported Pt (Pt/SDB) catalysts for destruction of volatile-organic-compound (VOC) in wastewater was examined. The test reaction was wet oxidation of water-containing aliphatic alcohol and formaldehyde at 140 degrees C and 90 psig for 40 h. The catalytic performance tests indicated that activity of the Pt/SDB catalysts could be maintained for VOC concentration of 3 wt.%, whereas the catalysts deactivated rapidly for 10 wt.% VOC containing wastewater. In order to investigate the nature of catalyst deactivation, extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) and X-ray absorption near edge (XANES) spectroscopy were used to characterize the fresh and used catalysts. After the reaction, there is no oxidation of Pt clusters observed in EXAFS and XANES spectroscopy suggesting that the oxidation reaction takes places via the adsorbed oxygen. The spectroscopy results further indicated that deactivation of the catalysts were mainly caused by the increase of Pd particle size. After the reaction, the Pt-Pt coordination number has no significant change for the 3 wt.% wastewater whereas increase from 5.6 to 6.2 for 10 wt.% wastewater. Combined with the fact that the catalysts fractured during the reactions, we suggested that Pt agglomeration was mainly caused by thermal migration of the metal clusters.     

Adsorption of acid dye onto activated carbons prepared from agricultural waste bagasse by ZnCl2 activation

A series of activated carbons were prepared from agricultural waste sugarcane bagasse by chemical activation with zinc chloride (ZnCl2) as an activating agent at 500 degrees C and 0.5 h soaking time. The Langmuir surface area and total pore volume were used to estimate the average pore diameter of the carbon products. The values of the surface area and pore volume increased linearly with increase in the impregnation ratio (IR) up to 100 wt%. The adsorption capacities of the derived adsorbents for Acid Orange 10 were measured at 20 degrees C and 40 degrees C to gain further insights into the acidic surface oxides of the adsorbent from the results of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy analysis and pH measurement. Adsorption isotherms of the acid dye on adsorbents prepared were determined and correlated with common isotherm equations. It was found that the Langmuir model appears to fit the isotherm data better than the Freundlich model. The physical properties of these adsorbents were consistent with the parameters obtained from the isotherm equations.     

圆孔多孔板水力空化杀灭大肠杆菌的实验研究

在以圆形孔口多孔板为空化空蚀发生器的水力空化装置中,对含有大肠杆菌的水样进行灭菌处理.通过检测大肠杆菌的灭菌率,研究了水力空化对水中大肠杆菌的灭活效果.分析了大肠杆菌初始浓度,水流空化数,孔口流速,孔口排布,孔口数量,孔口大小,空化空蚀作用时间等参数对灭菌效果的影响.试验结果表明：提高流速,降低空化数,选取适当的初始浓度,延长空化空蚀作用时间,增加孔口数量,减小孔口大小以及改进孔口排布可以进一步提高大肠杆菌的杀灭率.水力空化的空化空蚀作用能够杀灭水中的大肠杆菌,是一种饮用水消毒的新技术.     

人体呼出气中内源性挥发性有机物筛选研究

人体代谢产生的内源性挥发性有机物（VOCs）可用作健康状况的标志物.本研究选择17~26岁无呼吸系统疾病的高校学生（73人）作为观察对象,使用气相色谱-火焰离子化检测器/质谱联用仪（GC-FID/MS）分析收集到的呼出气样本,对呼出气中VOCs的种类、浓度进行研究,发现了其5种卤代物的浓度高于室内浓度,其次是室外浓度.其中,在人体呼出气中1,1-二氯乙烯的浓度为室内浓度的近20倍,是室外浓度的近300倍,人体呼出气是环境中1,1-二氯乙烯的一个重要源.定量分析健康人呼出气,对比其与环境空气样本的浓度差异,并进行统计学检验,共筛选出1,1二氯乙烯、丙酮、1-己烯、甲基环己烷、2-戊酮、反-2-戊烯、2,4-二甲基戊烷、3-戊酮、四氯乙烯、对二氯苯、间二氯苯11种特征性内源性VOCs.     

水土流失风险扰动下区域人地系统适应性研究——以榆林市为例

适应性概念为可持续性科学领域提供了新的研究思维。论文在总结、梳理适应性内涵,整合相关适应性理论与方法的基础上,提出了基于风险扰动的适应性分析框架,采用风险-适应能力指数评估区域人地系统适应性,将系统适应性分解为风险干扰和适应能力（包括生态、经济、社会能力3个参数）两个维度,从研究区水土流失风险出发,构建系统适应性评价指标体系。通过美国通用土壤流失方程（USLE）与适应性函数模型,分析榆林市水土流失风险以及人地系统适应能力时空演化特征,在系统适应性水平评估基础上,揭示榆林市不同时期人地系统适应性演化的驱动因素。研究结果表明：1）2000—2011年榆林市水土流失风险显著下降,但时空演化明显,到2011年高流失区转移分布于西南部、长城沿线等县域;2）12 a间榆林市系统适应性水平整体呈增高趋势,但空间上出现两极分化,呈现“西北高、东南低”的格局,其中北部县区（根据榆林市当地分区,北部县区包括府谷、神木、榆阳、横山、靖边、定边6县区;南部县域包括佳县、米脂、吴堡、子洲、绥德、清涧6县。）在生态、经济和社会子系统能力上明显高于南部,但南部县域适应性水平提升较北部更为明显;3）人地系统适应性演化驱动力由社会经济发展转化为生态环境修复、经济能力增强和社会保障提升的共同作用。     

Disaster prevention and reduction in Anthropocene

Natural disasters cause considerable property damage and loss of life as well as destruction of ecosystem and natural resources. In the context of global change, extreme events are expected to increase in both frequency and intensity. To prevent natural disasters and mitigate the loss, we need to act quickly and effectively. It would be conducive to achieve sustainable economic development, reduce disaster vulnerabilities and risks, and build resilience through implementing effective measures of disaster prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery.