Life cycle and economic assessment of enhanced ecological floating beds applied water purification

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The ecological floating beds (EFB) are widely used in water quality restoration because of its low cost, high efficiency, and green characteristics....     

Effects of film mulching on the distribution of phthalate esters in wheat grains from dryland

The application of plastic film in field crop production elevated the phthalate esters (PAEs) accumulation in wheat grains, which poses potential risks to human health. However, the variation of grain PAEs contents in different dryland areas is not clear, and the distribution of PAEs in different tissues of grains has not been studied yet. In the present study, field experiments in five sites (three provinces) with two treatments (soil with and without film mulching) were carried out to study the concentration and distribution of PAEs in grains and the effects of environmental factors on them. Results showed that the total PAE concentration (∑PAEs) in wheat grains ranged from 445 to 764 μg/kg, mainly in the forms of di-(2-ethylhexyl)-phthalate (DEHP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), and diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP). Compared with control, total PAE concentrations in soils and wheat grains were significantly higher in treatments with film mulching. The effects of film on the proportion of PAEs in the flour and bran varied with experiment sites. Grain PAEs in the control groups presented significantly negative correlation with annual temperature, while there was a positive correlation between soil PAEs and bran PAEs in the film treatment. Results in this study are of great significance to comprehensively evaluate the effect of film mulching on grain safety in dryland wheat production.

     

Antibiotic and antiparasitic residues in surface water of urban rivers in the Red River Delta (Hanoi,Vietnam): concentrations,profiles, source estimation,and risk assessment

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Antibiotic residues and antimicrobial resistance in surface water are issues of global concern, especially in developing countries. In this study, the...     

The relationship between maternal perfluoroalkylated substances exposure and low birth weight of offspring: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Some studies have shown that maternal perfluoroalkylated substances (PFAS) exposure may be associated with low birth weight (LBW) of offspring. We...     

Driving factors for coordinating urbanization with conservation of the ecological environment in China

Urbanization is a dominant component of social and economic development around the world, but this process creates tremendous pressure on the ecological environment. How to achieve coordination between urbanization and conservation of this environment has become a key issue, especially in developing countries. It is necessary to identify the driving factors that affect this coordination. To identify these factors, we chose 290 Chinese prefecture-level cities to analyze the driving factors behind urbanization using spatial regression analysis, and explored the spatial differences among regions in these factors. Our results show that industrial upgrading and technological progress were the main factors that promoted coordinated development, with industrialization having positive effects under government management, but with differences among regions in how the driving forces affected coordinated development. Using technological progress to promote industrial upgrading, creating new employment to absorb surplus rural labor, and providing workers with skills training so they can take advantage of new jobs can promote win–win solutions that coordinate urbanization with conservation of the ecological environment.     

Balancing ecological conservation with socioeconomic development

Ecological restoration and conservation are primary components of sustainable development around the world, particularly during the contemporary era of climate change. However, restoration and conservation are not free; they consume huge amounts of resources that would otherwise support social and economic development. Therefore, excessive conservation creates a risk of creating rather than eliminating poverty. Unfortunately, scientists have largely ignored the balance between these contrasting goals. Here, we discuss the concept of finding the threshold that represents a suitable balance between ecological conservation and economic development, thereby maximizing the benefits for both humans and the environment and promoting sustainable development. To demonstrate the concept, we examined China’s ecological restoration achievements and discussed some of the unforeseen negative consequences that accompanied these achievements to discuss how future policies could better balance ecological and socioeconomic goals.     

Construction of Circular Economy Industrial System

It is difficult to realize the transformation from traditional economy industrial system to circular economy industrial system. Regarding primary raw materials as the indicators, the industrial system has been specified according to the divergence among the indicators and the circular utilization modes. In comparison with the association among industrial systems, the relationship among industrial sub-systems is named as industrial cross-linking in this paper. The industrial system which could completely utiLize and recycle the indicators shouM be increased and strengthened, and the circular economy industrial system with complete industrial association and industrial cross-linking should also be constructed. Taking the development of circular agricultural system basing on the traditional agricultural system as an example, the traditional agricultural products are regarded as the indicators which have been divided into foodstuff and crop straws which are used to produce food and articles for use, Like fertilizer, energy and papers etc. The way to construct the circular agricultural industrial system is to increase the industrial systems that could utilize the products generated from crop straws, feces and other castoffs and transform the wastewater and other trucks into environmental friendly products. It has also been pointed out that the construction of circular economy industrial system is conducive to the foundation of circular industrial economics and the establishment of the construction layout of circular economy and the application schemes. Suggestions to the theoretical and practical work of the next step have also been brought forward in this paper.     

常州市可持续发展限制因子辨识及发展对策

本文对我国最早的国家级社会发展综合实验区常州市可持续发展的限制因子进行了辨识，并针对限制因子提出了常州市可持续发展的对策     

利用微型动物削减剩余污泥量的研究

在污水的好氧生物处理过程中会产生大量的剩余污泥。污泥的浓缩、脱水、处理和处置需要花费大量的人力和物力 ,而且如果处置不当 ,很容易对环境造成二次污染。因此 ,最大限度减少剩余污泥的排放成为人们关注的问题。根据生态学的理论 ,加强微型动物对细菌的捕食作用 ,可使能量在从低营养级向高营养级传递过程中有一定的损失 ,同时污泥量得以减少。应用两段式生物反应器或者直接向曝气池中投加微型动物均可达到此目的。本文详细地介绍了这两种方法 ,讨论了各自的优点和不足 ,并指出了未来的发展方向