Identifying the land use and land cover change drivers: methods and case studies of two forest reserves in Northern Benin

Environment, Development and Sustainability - Land use and land cover change (LULCC) is one of the problems that the world has been facing for the last few decades despite political attention....     

Asparagus ploidy distribution related to climates adaptation in Iran

Environment, Development and Sustainability - Asparagus basic chromosome number is 2n?=?2x?=?20. The high rate of polyploidy in wild asparagus has been found in natural...     

改良黏土对重金属离子的吸附特性及防渗性能

为了评价污泥活性炭(SAC)改良黏土作为垃圾卫生填埋场衬垫防渗材料的可行性,该文通过吸附动力学试验、等温吸附平衡试验、柔性壁渗透试验,分别研究了掺量为0%、1%、3%、5%的SAC改良黏土对Cd(Ⅱ)、Cu(Ⅱ)的吸附特性以及渗透性能。试验结果表明,改良黏土对Cd(Ⅱ)或Cu(Ⅱ)的吸附以30 min内的颗粒表面吸附为主,吸附平衡时间分别为120 min或90 min。改良黏土对Cd(Ⅱ)或Cu(Ⅱ)的吸附符合Langmuir等温吸附模式。随SAC掺量由0%增加至5%,在S/L=120 g/L,Cd(Ⅱ)、Cu(Ⅱ)最大吸附量qm分别增加了25%、47%;当固液比增加到200 g/L,Cd(Ⅱ)、Cu(Ⅱ)最大吸附量qm分别增加了32%、48%。水、垃圾渗滤液2种渗透媒介下SAC改良黏土的渗透系数为1.8×10-9～1.2×10-8cm/s,均<1×10-7cm/s的防渗要求。因此,SAC改良黏土可以作为垃圾填埋场的衬垫防渗材料使用,可以有效阻滞渗滤液中重金属离子的迁移。     

Competitive Retention of Lead and Cadmium on an Agricultural Soil

Lead and cadmium contamination of an agricultural soil has been studied using batch and column experiments. Thermodynamics of theretention phenomena may be represented by a Langmuir isotherm foran aqueous metal concentration up to 100 mg L^-1. First order kinetics with respect to the solid phase yield good predictabilityfor both batch and column experiments. Kinetics and thermodynamics of lead retention predominate over those ofcadmium. As a consequence, lead is preferentially retainedand can even displace sorbed cadmium. In the event of anspill involving both metals, cadmium would move further inthe soil and its aqueous concentration downstream could beeven higher than that of the influent solution, increasingpotential risks. A two-region model has been used to fit all the experimental results. Satisfactory predictions for column experiments are obtained with parameters which are consistent with those obtained for the batch experiments, for which sorption is described by a Langmuir isotherm including competitive retention.     

The study of age influence on human bone lead metabolism by using a simplified model and X-ray fluorescence data

Long term lead metabolism in the human body has never been fully understood due to the lack of human data in this area. The technological improvement of bone lead measurement systems has made bone lead data of substantial populations available. In this study, a set of X-ray fluorescence bone lead data was used to test Leggett's lead metabolism model (R. W. Leggett, Environ. Health Perspect., 1993a, 101, 598-616), especially the model of metabolism in bone. The data set includes the bone lead concentration of 539 occupationally exposed workers, of whom 327 were measured twice in five years. The bone lead concentrations of both cortical bone (tibia) and trabecular bone (calcaneus) were obtained by Cd-109 gamma-ray induced XRF measurement. The histories of blood lead concentration for these workers were used to regulate the input file of the model. The results show that the bone lead concentrations predicted by Leggett's model greatly underestimate the measured values, especially for older workers. This data set was then organized into five age groups. A new simplified model was applied to estimate the lead transfer rates between blood and lead compartments for these age groups. The original transfer rates and the new transfer rates are compared, and the differences are discussed. When the transfer rates derived from measured bone lead data were put into the input file of the model to replace the existing parameters, the predicted values were much closer to the measured values for both cortical bone and trabecular bone.     

Pollen allergy related to the area of residence in the city of Córdoba,south-west Spain

The aim of this study was to analyse the relationship between the distribution of hay-fever patients in the city of Córdoba, south-western Iberian Peninsula, and the specific atmospheric biological content originating from local sources. Four different districts were established in the metropolitan area of the city, according to vegetational and urbanistic characteristics. Air samples were taken in each area using portable Hirst-type samplers (Lanzoni VPPS 1000) and the spectrum of biological content was defined. Patients attending the Allergy Unit at Córdoba Teaching Hospital in 2000 with allergic rhinitis and/or asthma, and displaying a positive reaction to aeroallergen extracts, were distributed within the areas as a function of their district of residence. Aerobiological results revealed differences in pollen content between areas, in terms of both quantity and number of pollen types recorded. These differences were largely due to proximity to rural areas, prevalence of pollen from typically urban species and the possible effect of urban architecture as a barrier to the dispersal/ concentration of particles and other pollutants. Patients were not uniformly distributed within the city. The majority lived in districts in which pollen from rural species was mixed with pollen from ornamentals. Patients living in typically urban districts displayed a higher prevalence of allergy to pollen from ornamentals. It is concluded that a high degree of exposure to the same environment may influence the development of sensitisation to the particular pollen load associated with that area.     

Monochlorobenzene Marine Risk Assessment with Special Reference to the Osparcom Region: North Sea

This risk assessment on monochlorobenzene was carried out for the marine environment, following methodology given in the EU risk assessment Regulation (1488/94) and Guidance Document of the EU New and Existing Substances Regulation (TGD, 1996). Data from analytical monitoring programmes in large rivers and estuaries in the North Sea area were collected and evaluated for effects and environmental concentrations. Risk is indicated by the ratio of predicted environmental concentration (PEC) to predicted no-effect concentration (PNEC) for the marine aquatic environment. In total, 27 data for fish, 24 data for invertebrates and 13 data for algae were evaluated. Acute and chronic toxicity studies were taken into account and appropriate assessment factors used to define a final PNEC value of 32 micro/l. Recent monitoring data indicate that monochlorobenzene levels in surface waters are below determination limits of 0.1, 0.2, 0.5 microg/l used in monitoring programs. Assuming that half of the lowest determination (0.1 microg/l) is typical, a PEC of 0.05 microg/l was derived. A worst case of 0.5 microg/l is assumed. PEC/PNEC ratios give safety factors of 60 to over 500, taking no account of dilution in the sea. Monochlorobenzene is not a 'toxic, persistent and liable to bioaccumulate' substance sensu the Oslo and Paris Conventions for the Prevention of Marine Pollution (OSPAR-DYNAMEC) criteria. Environmental fate and effects data indicate that current use of monochlorobenzene poses no unacceptable risk to the aquatic environment.     

基于生态功能考虑的西北干旱地区生态需水研究

在当前生态需水研究的基础上,选取植被盖度作为衡量绿洲生态功能的主要指标,根据植被盖度和侵蚀率之间的关系,从生态系统的需水机理出发,提出了基于生态功能考虑的西北干旱地区生态需水量计算方法.以额济纳绿洲为例,计算了2000年额济纳绿洲生态需水,并与额济纳绿洲不同时期的生态需水进行了对比分析.