Cost-effectiveness of two operational models at industrial wastewater treatment plants in China: A case study in Shengze town,Suzhou City

The widespread illegal discharge of industrial wastewater in China has posed significant challenges to the effective management of industrial wastewater treatment plants (IWTPs) and caused or exacerbated critical social issues such as trans-boundary environmental pollution. This study examines two operational strategies, decentralized model and an innovative integrated model, that have been used in the industrial town of Shengze (located in Suzhou City) over the past two decades at IWTPs handling wastewater from the city’s dyeing industry. Our cost-effectiveness analysis shows that, although the operational cost of IWTPs under the integrated model is higher than under the original decentralized model, the integrated model has significantly improved IWTP performance and effectively reduced illegal discharge of industrial wastewater. As a result, the number of reported incidents of unacceptable pollution in local receiving water bodies had declined from 13 in 2000–1 in 2008. Key factors contributing to the success of the innovative integrated model are strong support from municipal and provincial leaders, mandatory ownership transfer of IWTPs to a centralized management body, strong financial incentives for proper plant management, and geographically-clustered IWTPs.     

Integrated emergy,energy and economic evaluation of rice and vegetable production systems in alluvial paddy fields: Implications for agricultural policy in China

China is the largest rice producing and consuming country in the world, but rice production has given way to the production of vegetables during the past twenty years. The government has been trying to stop this land-use conversion and increase the area in rice-vegetable rotation. Important questions that must be answered to determine what strategy is best for society are, “What is the reason behind this conversion?”; “Which system is more productive and which is more sustainable?”; and “How can economic policy be used to adjust the pattern of farmland use to attain sustainable development?” To answer these questions, a combined evaluation of these agricultural production systems was done using emergy, energy and economic methods. An economic analysis clearly showed that the reason for this conversion was simply that the economic output/input ratio and the benefit density of the vegetable production system were greater than that of rice. However, both energy and emergy evaluations showed that long-term rice was the best choice for sustainable development, followed by rotation systems. The current price of rice is lower than the em-value of rice produced from the long-term rice system, but higher than that of rice produced from the rotation system. Scenario analysis showed that if the government increases the price of rice to the em-value of rice produced from the long-term rice system, US$0.4/kg, and takes the value of soil organic matter into account, the economic output/input ratios of both the rice and rotation systems will be higher than that of the vegetable system. The three methods, energy, emergy and economics, are different but complementary, each revealing a different aspect of the same system. Their combined use shows not only the reasons behind a system’s current state or condition, but also the way to adjust these systems to move toward more sustainable states.     

WRF-Chem simulation of East Asian air quality: Sensitivity to temporal and vertical emissions distributions

This study develops fine temporal (seasonal, day-of-week, diurnal) and vertical allocations of anthropogenic emissions for the TRACE-P inventory and evaluates their impacts on the East Asian air quality prediction using WRF-Chem simulations in July 2001 at 30-km grid spacing against available surface measurements from EANET and NEMCC. For NO₂ and SO₂, the diurnal and vertical redistributions of emissions play essential roles, while the day-of-week variation is less important. When all incorporated, WRF-Chem best simulates observations of surface NO₂ and SO₂ concentrations, while using the default emissions produces the worst result. The sensitivity is especially large over major cities and industrial areas, where surface NO₂ and SO₂ concentrations are reduced by respectively 3–7 and 6–12 ppbv when using the scaled emissions. The incorporation of all the three redistributions of emissions simulates surface O₃ concentrations higher by 4–8 ppbv at night and 2–4 ppbv in daytime over broad areas of northern, eastern and central China. To this sensitivity, the diurnal redistribution contributes more than the other two.     

基于GIS的景观生态功能指标分析

针对当前我国规划及战略环评指标体系中缺乏直接反映生态功能指标的问题,提出可通过系统研究区域景观生态结构与景观功能变化间的关系,由斑块面积指数计算生物生产力、由景观香农多样性指数和景观香农均匀度指数反映生态质量,以此表征景观生态功能。以地理信息系统（GIS）为平台,提出了利用基于斑块面积而得到的景观要素转移矩阵及基于年鉴统计而得到的景观单位面积生物生产力的转移矩阵来计算生物生产力的方法,并在统计若干研究流域景观格局异质性指数文献的基础上发掘了景观多样性指数、景观均匀度指数与生态质量间的关系。最后,以江苏省沿江地区2000、2004年的数据开展了实例分析,结果表明,提出的生物生产力和生态质量这两个指标确实能反映区域景观功能的变化,在今后的规划和战略环评中具有一定的应用前景.     

Chemisorption and Physical Adsorption Roles in Cadmium Biosorption by Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii

The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanism of cadmium (Cd) adsorbed by microalgae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (C.reinhardtii). The kinetic and adsorption isotherm of the process could be well described by mathematical models. Chemical modification experiments and Fourier transform infrared spectra indicated that carboxyl and amine groups were the important functional groups for adsorption of Cd. The maximum contribution of physical adsorption in the overall adsorption process was evaluated as 5.5%...     

资源型城市贵阳市的生态可持续发展研究

生态可持续发展是资源型城市可持续发展的基础。应用生态足迹的方法,对资源型城市贵阳市的生态可持续发展做了定量评估,并分析了影响贵阳市生态可持续发展的社会经济驱动力。贵阳市1999年-2007年间生态足迹从1.447 hm2/cap增长到2.472hm2/cap,而生态承载力从0.551 hm2/cap下降至0.509 hm2/cap,生态足迹远超出生态承载力,生态系统处于不可持续发展状况。但贵阳市生态效率在不断改善,从1999年的0.500万元GDP/hm2生态足迹增长到2007年的0.787万元GDP/hm2生态足迹,生态系统改善仍存在一定契机。人口增加、能耗增加等因素会导致贵阳市生态足迹增加,而增加农作物播种面积则可减少生态足迹。应用生态足迹的方法,有利于分析资源型城市可持续发展的相关问题,最后就如何缓解贵阳市生态系统压力,促进贵阳市生态可持续发展进行了探讨。     

Simulation of biological uptake of uranium and radium in an industrially polluted area

Distribution of ²³⁸U and ²²⁶Ra in soils and plants of an industrially polluted area are considered. The dependence between the biological uptake coefficients (BUCs) for the plant species studied and the radionuclide concentrations in soil can be approximated by a decreasing power function. Species differences in radionuclide uptake are demonstrated.     

Towards a sustainable energy future—exploring current barriers and potential solutions in Thailand

Renewable energy is considered an indispensable basis of sustainable energy systems as electricity generation from renewable sources results in low emissions of greenhouse gases compared to fossil fuel based electricity and contributes to sustainable development. However, effective strategies and conducive institutional settings are needed for advancement of such clean electricity systems. Although Thailand, as a nation, has a huge potential for renewable energy utilization, its total amount of electricity generation from renewables is relatively small and could be enlarged substantially. Lack of policy mechanisms, institutional development and financing exist as major barriers for Thailand in this regard. Investigation of the nation’s current energy strategy implementation shows that relevant energy and development policies are at different stages of implementation and institutional settings are continuously evolving. This paper argues that further significant efforts could be made towards advancement of renewable electricity and thus achievement of energy sustainability in Thailand. Resource planning, effective policy and institutions, focussed planning for energy sustainability and implementation of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) under the Kyoto Protocol could facilitate further advancement of renewables for the nation.     

Characteristics of the contact zone of three chromosome races of the common shrew <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sorex araneus</Emphasis> L. (Mammalia) as indices of interpopulation competition

The distribution of three chromosome races (Moscow, Western Dvina, and Seliger) of the common shrew Sorex araneus L. in the zone of contact between their ranges in the Valdai Heights (32°00′ E, 57°00′ N) is discussed. The area co-inhabited by all the three races is extremely small. Representatives of all the three races have been captured on only one trap line, although there are no obstacles to the expansion of shrews. The extremely small area co-inhabited by the three races, as well as the strictly parapatric distribution of the Moscow and Western Dvina races, may be related with competition forms such as avoidance of contacts and separation of ecological niches.     

偕胺肟合铁(Ⅲ)纤维对α-萘酚的吸附

以腈纶纤维为原料络合Fe3+制得偕胺肟合铁(Ⅲ)纤维,用其处理α-萘酚溶液,研究了偕胺肟合铁(Ⅲ)纤维对α-萘酚的吸附工艺条件和吸附动力学参数。实验结果表明,偕胺肟合铁(Ⅲ)纤维对α-萘酚的最佳吸附工艺条件为pH=3.0、吸附温度313.15K和吸附时间45min。在最佳工艺条件下,偕胺肟合铁(Ⅲ)纤维对α-萘酚的吸附在所研究的α-萘酚浓度范围内符合Freundlich等温吸附方程。未达到饱和吸附前,偕胺肟合铁(Ⅲ)纤维对α-萘酚的吸附符合一级反应动力学特征。