Anthropogenic impacts on suspended sediment load in the Upper Yangtze river

Climate change and human disturbance drive catchment erosion and increase riverine sediment load sensitively in small and medium-sized watersheds. This is not always true in large basins, where aggregation and buffering effects have dampen the ability to determine the driving forces of sedimentation. Even though there are significant responses to sedimentation in large river basins, it is difficult to get a precise quantitative assessment of specific drivers. This paper develops a methodology to identify driving forces that change suspended sediment load in the Upper Yangtze river. Annual runoff and sediment load data from 1954 to 2005 at the Yichang gauging station in the Upper Yangtze basin, daily precipitation data from 60 meteorological stations, and survey data on reservoir sediment were collected for the study. Sediment load/rainfall erosivity (S/R), is a new proxy indicator introduced to reflect human activities. Since the mid-1980s, S/R in the Upper Yangtze has dramatically declined from 0.21 to 0.03 (×10¹⁰ t ha h MJ⁻¹ mm⁻¹), indicating that human activity has played a key role in the decline of the suspended sediment load. Before the mid-1980s, a higher average S/R is attributed to large-scale deforestation and land reclamation. A significant sediment decrease occurred from 1959 to 1961 during an extreme drought condition, and an increase in sedimentation in 1998 coincided with an extreme flood event, which was well recorded in the S/R curve. This indicates that the S/R proxy is able to distinguish anthropogenic from climate impacts on suspended sediment load, but is not necessarily indicatory in extreme climate events. In addition, typical drivers of riverine sediment load variation including soil conservation projects, reservoirs construction, and land use/cover change are discussed.     

Dechlorination of PCBs in the simulative transformer oil by microwave-hydrothermal reaction with zero-valent iron involved

The conventional hydrothermal reaction with iron powder, NaOH and H₂O as reactants was reported to occur at temperature above 423 K, and iron oxides (Fe₃O₄ and NaFeO₂) and hydrogen were produced. In this study, microwave heating was adopted to take the place of conventional heating to induce the hydrothermal reaction. Under microwave irradiation, NaOH and H₂O absorbed microwave energy by space charge polarization and dipolar polarization and instantly converted it into thermal energy, which initiated the hydrothermal reaction that involved with zero-valent iron. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis found Fe₃O₄/NaFeO₂ and confirmed the occurrence of microwave-induced hydrothermal reaction. The developed microwave-hydrothermal reaction was employed for the dechlorination of PCBs. Hexadecane containing 100 mg L⁻¹ of Aroclor1254 was used as simulative transformer oil, and the dechlorination of PCBs was evaluated by GC/ECD, GC/MS and ion chromatography. For PCBs in 10 mL simulative transformer oil, almost complete dechlorination was achieved by 750 W microwave irradiation for 10 min, with 0.3 g iron powder, 0.3 g NaOH and 0.6 mL H₂O added. The effects of important factors including microwave power and the amounts of reactants added, on the dechlorination degree were investigated, moreover, the dechlorination mechanism was suggested. Microwave irradiation combined with the common and cheap materials, iron powder, NaOH and H₂O, might provide a fast and cost-effective method for the treatment of PCBs-containing wastes.     

Removal of PAHs with surfactant-enhanced soil washing: influencing factors and removal effectiveness

PAH removal with surfactant enhanced washing was investigated through a series of laboratory tests to examine the effect of stirring speed, washing time, surfactant concentration, liquid/solid ratio, temperature, and on-and-off mode. The first four factors show significant influence on the PAH removal while the latter two do not. Total removal ratio and a new proposed parameter, solubilization percentage, are used to evaluate the effectiveness quantitatively.     

The dissipation rates of trichlorfon and its degradation product dichlorvos in cabbage and soil

The residual levels and dissipation rate of trichlorfon, and its degradation product, dichlorvos, in cabbage crops and the soil in which these were grown, were determined by gas chromatography at two geographically distant experimental sites, one in Kunming and one in Beijing, China. Trichlorfon was applied at two dosages (900 g ai ha⁻¹ and 1350 g ai ha⁻¹). Maximum final residues of trichlorfon in soil and cabbage were 1.23 mg kg⁻¹ and 1.81 mg kg⁻¹ respectively at Kunming, and 0.35 mg kg⁻¹ and 0.70 mg kg⁻¹ respectively at Beijing. However, the final residues of dichlorvos in both cabbage and soil was only 0.04 mg kg⁻¹ at Kunming, and only 0.03 mg kg⁻¹, or “not detectable”, at Beijing. The mean half-life of trichlorfon in cabbage was 1.80 d with a dissipation rate of 90% over 5 d, while that in soil was 3.05 d with a dissipation rate of 90% over 14 d at one experimental site. The dissipation rates of trichlorfon and its degradation product dichlorvos at the two experimental sites were different, suggesting that degradation of these pesticides was affected by local soil characteristics and climate. When applied at both the recommended dosage and at 1.5 times this, no detectable residues of either trichlorfon or dichlorvos were found in soil or cabbage at harvest. Although trichlorfon can easily degrade into dichlorvos, which is highly toxic to humans and other animals, the observed low residual levels of dichlorvos suggest that trichlorfon is safe when applied at the recommended dosage.     

湖北省"两圈"生物资源生态足迹动态分析

本文对1998-2008年湖北省武汉城市圈和鄂西生态文化旅游圈的生物资源生态足迹及其组成、人均生物资源生态足迹、生物资源生态承载量和生物资源生态赤字(盈余)进行了动态分析.研究表明,武汉城市圈生物资源生态足迹组成以耕地为主,其他生态生产性用地的足迹比例较小,各市州生物资源生态足迹整体呈现逐年增加的趋势,人均生物资源生态足迹小于省均值,生物资源生态承载量先升高后降低,各市州生物资源生态承载量由大到小排序为:黄冈、孝感、武汉、咸宁、天门、黄石、仙桃、鄂州、潜江,生态赤字呈增大趋势;鄂西生态圈除神农架外其他各市州的生物资源生态足迹均较大,林地足迹占主要地位,其总量对全省的贡献较大;人均生物资源生态足迹大于省均值,生物资源生态承载量呈增高趋势,各市州由大到小排序为:宜昌、十堰、襄樊、荆州、恩施、随州、荆门、神农架,该圈一直保持很高的生物资源生态盈余,但盈余值有减小的趋势.     

基于空间计量经济学的碳排放与经济增长分析

本文采用空间计量经济学的方法对我国各省份的经济增长与碳排放之间的关系进行了实证分析,结果表明:我国各省份的碳排放在空间分布上表现出一定的空间正自相关性,碳排放量最高的省份多处于经济发达的沿海地区,如以北京为中心的环渤海地区,以上海为中心的长三角地区和以广东为核心的珠三角地区,而次之的是经济较为发达的地区,如中部的山西、湖北、湖南、江西、安徽和西南地区;我国各省份的碳排放在空间分布上存在一定的空间集群效应,如环渤海地区就表现出高碳排放的空间集群效应,而西部地区的西藏、新疆、甘肃、青海却表现出低碳排放的空间集群效应.经济增长与碳排放呈现出正相关关系,高碳排放的地区多处于经济发达的沿海地区,而低碳排放的地区多处于经济落后的内陆地区;我国目前的经济增长对碳排放的依赖性较强,经济增长对碳排放的弹性系数约为0.8左右,说明在未来的短时间内很难实行低碳经济的发展模式.     

三峡工程建设期库区生态环境保护措施及效果评价

针对三峡工程建设过程中可能引发的生态与环境问题,基于三峡工程建设前后库区生态环境变化,对17年工程建设过程中,库区及上游开展的各项生态环境保护措施及其效果进行总结评价。结果表明三峡库区各项生态环境保护措施有力得当,移民及工矿搬迁环境压力降低,干流水质基本稳定,地质灾害防控得当,库区及上游生态恢复加速,库底清理清漂彻底,媒介生物密度下降,人居环境逐步改善,库区生态环境质量总体趋好。鉴于库区“限制开发区域”的国家主体功能区定位、生态环境的复杂性及相关影响因素的滞后性,生态环境保护工作仍需要进一步加强,特从管理、技术与经济三方面对三峡水库运行管理期内的库区生态环境保护工作提出建议,旨在为相关管理部门提供决策参考依据     

长江干流不同江段鱼卵及仔鱼漂流特征昼夜变化的初步分析

根据2007~2009年在长江干流的泸州、珞璜、宜都、武穴4个江段分别采集的数据,对这些江段鱼卵及仔鱼漂流特征的昼夜变化规律进行初步分析。结果显示,长江上游泸州江段和珞璜江段鱼卵及仔鱼昼夜漂流密度有一定差异,但不显著;长江中游宜都江段,鱼卵漂流密度在昼夜时间上有显著性差异（〖WTBX〗n=38,p〖WTBZ〗=000）,表现为6〖DK〗∶00的平均漂流密度13.02 ind./100 m3明显大于18〖DK〗∶00的密度3.28 ind./100 m3,仔鱼夜间漂流密度明显大于白天,于22〖DK〗∶00达到高峰值;武穴江段仔鱼漂流密度在昼夜时间上有显著性差异（〖WTBX〗n=62,p〖WTBZ〗=000）,8〖DK〗∶00的平均漂流密8621 ind./100 m3明显大于18〖DK〗∶00的密度4485 ind./100 m3。不同物种的鱼卵及仔鱼漂流密度亦呈现出一定的昼夜差异,宜都江段贝氏〖FK（W*5/5。1〗〖PS黎明政造字2.EPS;%84%84,BP〗〖FK)〗,草鱼和银鲴鱼卵主要分布在白天,鳙、鲢等种类分布在夜间;另外,鳙、银鮈、铜鱼和翘嘴鲌等多数种类的仔鱼仅在夜间有分布,而飘鱼属的种类主要分布在白天。通过采集到鱼卵发育期推算,四大家鱼、贝氏〖FK（W*5/5。1〗〖PS黎明政造字2.EPS;%84%84,BP〗〖FK)〗、银鲴和翘嘴鲌的繁殖时间主要集中在夜间,而花斑副沙鳅和鳊全天均有繁殖     

Influence of soluble microbial products (SMP) on wastewater disinfection byproducts: trihalomethanes and haloacetic acid species from the chlorination of SMP

Introduction  

Effluent organic matter from biological wastewater treatment plants is composed of degradation products and soluble microbial products (SMP). Protein, polysaccharide, humic acid, and DNA were major biomolecules of SMP. Little is known about the effects of SMP as microbially derived precursors on disinfection byproduct formation and speciation in biologically treated wastewater. In addition, there has never been any attempt to directly chlorinate the major biomolecules of SMP.     

Effects of perfluorinated compounds on development of zebrafish embryos

Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) have been widely used in industrial and consumer products and frequently detected in many environmental media. Potential reproductive effects of perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) have been reported in mice, rats and water birds. PFOS and PFOA were also confirmed developing toxicants towards zebrafish embryos; however, the reported effect concentrations were contradictory. Polyfluorinated alkylated phosphate ester surfactants (including FC807) are precursor of PFOS and PFOA; however, there is no published information about the effects of FC807 and PFNA on zebrafish embryos. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the effects of these four PFCs on zebrafish embryos. Normal fertilized zebrafish embryos were selected to be exposed to several concentrations of PFOA, PFNA, PFOS or FC807 in 24-well cell culture plates. A digital camera was used to image morphological anomalies of embryos with a stereomicroscope. Embryos were observed through matching up to 96-h post-fertilization (hpf) and rates of survival and abnormalities recorded. PFCs caused lethality in a concentration-dependent manner with potential toxicity in the order of PFOS > FC807 > PFNA > PFOA based on 72-h LC(50). Forty-eight-hour post-fertilization pericardial edema and 72- or 96-hpf spine crooked malformation were all observed. PFOA, PFNA, PFOS and FC807 all caused structural abnormalities using early stages of development of zebrafish. The PFCs all retarded the development of zebrafish embryos. The toxicity of the PFCs was related to the length of the PFC chain and functional groups.