Precise and Economical Dredging Model of Sediments and Its Field Application: Case Study of a River Heavily Polluted by Organic Matter,Nitrogen, and Phosphorus

Environmental dredging is an efficient means to counteract the eutrophication of water bodies caused by endogenous release of nitrogen and/or phosphorus from polluted sediments. The huge operational cost and subsequent disposal cost of the dredged polluted sediments, as well as the adverse effect on the benthic environment caused by excessive dredging, make the currently adopted dredging methods unfavorable. Precise dredging, i.e., determining the dredging depth based on the pollution level, not only significantly decreases the costs but also leaves a uniform favorable environment for benthos. However, there is still no feasible process to make this promising method executable. Taking a river heavily polluted by organic compounds as an example, we proposed an executable precise dredging process, including sediment survey, model establishment, data interpolation, and calculation of dredging amount. Compared with the traditional dredging method, the precise one would save 16 to 45 % of cost according to different pollutant removal demands. This precise dredging method was adopted by the National Water Project of China to treat the endogenous pollution of Nanfei River in 2010. This research provides a universal scientific and engineering basis for sediment dredging projects.     

新疆哈密马庄山金矿区次火山岩及其地球化学特征

马庄山金矿区位于星星峡一卡瓦布拉克地块、古生代岛弧东段北侧活动大陆边缘，有多种火山宕、次火山岩和侵入岩，而与金矿成矿关系最为密切的是海西中、晚期次火山岩。该矿区次火山岩有花岗闪长斑岩、石英斑岩、花岗斑岩、隐爆角砾岩（简称花岗质岩）和辉绿岩。因此，在区域地质背景和矿区地质特征分析基础上，着重对次火山岩及其地球化学特征进行系统研究，结果认为．该矿区花岗质岩为高硅富钾贫铝钙碱性同熔（1）型花岗岩类，岩浆源区来自中下地壳；辉绿岩则为富钠碱性正常型基性岩类，岩浆源区来自下地壳。前者含Co、Pb、Zn、Sn、As、Bi、W、Mo、An、Ag、Tc等元素较高，有重要找矿前景；后者含Ba、Pb、Zn、Tl、As、Bi、Au、Ag、Tc等元素较高，也可为成矿提供物源。这些认识，对该区次火山岩特征、性质、成矿关系和构造背景，以及进一步找矿都有重要理论和实践指导意义。     

创建人与自然和谐的城市

6月3日,国家环保模范城市市长峰会在人民大会堂隆重召开,中共中央政治局委员、国务院副总理曾培炎出席并作了重要讲话。本刊在此全文刊登讲话内容,以指导新时期的环境保护工作。     

Sample preparation for GC analysis of selected pesticides in surface water.

A new isolation procedure for the determination of nitrogen/phosphorous containing pesticides and organochlorine pesticides in water was tested, and statistical evaluation of the recoveries was performed. The procedure, designed specifically for the analysis of semi-volatile compounds in water containing Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM), utilizes a specially designed filtration vessel coupled directly to an SPE cartridge. The studies were based on surface water samples (from the Vistula River) spiked with pesticides. SPM separation and analyte isolation/concentration were carried out in a special filtration vessel. Pesticides were sorbed both on the SPE cartridge and on the suspended matter. The cartridge and the filter with the suspended matter were extracted separately with a solvent, which enabled the determination of analyte distribution between the two. For organochlorine pesticides, between 3 and 60% of the initial amount was found on the filter, while the recoveries in the filtrate ranged from 30 to 98%. Total recoveries of organochlorine pesticides from surface water samples spiked with pesticides using the method described were high, ranging from 90 to 101%. The amounts of nitrogen/phosphorus containing pesticides recovered from the filter were lower than 2%, while those from the filtrate ranged from 69 to 92%. Total recoveries of nitrogen/phosphorus containing pesticides from surface water samples were high, ranging from 71 to 92%.     

Evaluating effects of wind-induced pressure fluctuations on soil-atmosphere gas exchange at a landfill using stochastic modelling.

The impact of wind turbulence-induced pressure fluctuations at the soil surface on landfill gas transport and emissions to the atmosphere at an old Danish landfill site was investigated using stochastic modelling combined with soil property and gas transport data measured at the site. The impacts of soil physical properties (including air permeability and volumetric water content) and wind-induced pressure fluctuation properties (amplitude and temporal correlation) on landfill gas emissions to the atmosphere were evaluated. Soil-air permeability and pressure fluctuation amplitude were found to be the most important parameters. Wind-induced gas emissions were further compared with gas emissions caused by diffusion and by long-term pressure variations (due to passing weather systems). Here diffusion and wind-induced gas transport were found to be equally important with wind-induced gas transport becoming the most important at lower soil-air contents.     

Conspecific flowers of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sinapis arvensis</Emphasis> are stronger competitors for pollinators than those of the invasive weed <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bunias orientalis</Emphasis>

Biological invasions can affect the structure and function of ecosystems and threaten native plant species. Since most weeds rely on mutualistic relationships in their new environment, they may act as new competitors for pollinators. Pollinator competition is likely to be density dependent, but it is often difficult to disentangle competition caused by flower quality from effects caused by flower quantity. In order to test the effects of the presence and number of flowers of the invasive weed Bunias orientalis on the insect visitation rates in a native species (Sinapis arvensis), we performed two replacement experiments using plants with standardised flower numbers. The visitation rates in S. arvensis were significantly higher than in B. orientalis and the number of insect visits dropped significantly with increasing density of S. arvensis flowers. These results suggest that intraspecific competition among flowers of S. arvensis is stronger than the competitive effect of alien flowers. As flowers of B. orientalis do not seem to distract visitors from S. arvensis, it is unlikely that pollinator competition between these two plant species plays a crucial role. However, it cannot be excluded that mass blossom stands of B. orientalis may distract flower visitors from native species.     

Exchange of hosts: can agaonid fig wasps reproduce successfully in the figs of non-host <Emphasis Type="BoldItalic">Ficus</Emphasis>?

In the obligate mutualism between figs (Ficus) and their specific pollinators (Chalcidoidea, Agaonidae), each species of fig wasp typically reproduces in figs of a single host species. Host specificity is maintained largely because pollinators are attracted to tree-specific volatiles released from their host figs, but whether the wasps can reproduce if they enter figs of non-host species is unclear. We investigated the reproductive success of Ceratosolen emarginatus (associated with Ficus auriculata) and Ceratosolen sp. (associated with F. hainanensis) in atypical hosts by experimentally introducing foundresses into host and non-host figs. F. auriculata figs entered by Ceratosolen sp. were more likely to abort than if entered by C. emarginatus, but abortion of F. hainanensis figs was not affected by pollinator species. Single C. emarginatus foundresses produced more but smaller offspring in F. hainanensis than in their normal host. Conversely Ceratosolen sp. produced fewer but larger offspring in F. auriculata than in their normal host, probably as a result of having longer to develop. Mean style length differences, relative to the lengths of the wasps’ ovipositors, may have dictated the number of offspring produced, with oviposition made easier by the shorter styles in F. hainanensis figs. Our results imply that, in addition to morphological constraints and tree-specific volatiles, reduced reproductive success in atypical hosts can be another factor maintaining host specificity, but for other species only behavioural changes are required for host switching to occur.