Arctic Tipping Points: Governance in Turbulent Times

Interacting forces of climate change and globalization are transforming the Arctic. Triggered by a non-linear shift in sea ice, this transformation has unleashed mounting interest in opportunities to exploit the region’s natural resources as well as growing concern about environmental, economic, and political issues associated with such efforts. This article addresses the implications of this transformation for governance, identifies limitations of existing arrangements, and explores changes needed to meet new demands. It advocates the development of an Arctic regime complex featuring flexibility across issues and adaptability over time along with an enhanced role for the Arctic Council both in conducting policy-relevant assessments and in promoting synergy in interactions among the elements of the emerging Arctic regime complex. The emphasis throughout is on maximizing the fit between the socioecological features of the Arctic and the character of the governance arrangements needed to steer the Arctic toward a sustainable future.     

Impact of injection system design on ISCO performance with permanganate--mathematical modeling results

In situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) using permanganate (MnO(4)(-)) can be a very effective technique for remediation of soil and groundwater contaminated with chlorinated solvents. However, many ISCO projects are less effective than desired because of poor delivery of the chemical reagents to the treatment zone. In this work, the numerical model RT3D was modified and applied to evaluate the effect of aquifer characteristics and injection system design on contact and treatment efficiency. MnO(4)(-) consumption was simulated assuming the natural oxidant demand (NOD) is composed of a fraction that reacts instantaneously and a fraction that slowly reacts following a 2nd order relationship where NOD consumption rate increases with increasing MnO(4)(-) concentration. MnO(4)(-) consumption by the contaminant was simulated as an instantaneous reaction. Simulation results indicate that the mass of permanganate and volume of water injected has the greatest impact on aquifer contact efficiency and contaminant treatment efficiency. Several small injection events are not expected to increase contact efficiency compared to a single large injection event, and can increase the amount of un-reacted MnO(4)(-) released down-gradient. High groundwater flow velocities can increase the fraction of aquifer contacted. Initial contaminant concentration and contaminant retardation factor have only a minor impact on volume contact efficiency. Aquifer heterogeneity can have both positive and negative impacts on remediation system performance, depending on the injection system design.     

Exposure to heavy metals in blood and risk perception of the population living in the vicinity of municipal waste incinerators in Korea

Background, aim, and scope

The purpose of this study was to monitor and present the heavy metal concentrations in the blood of residents of areas near municipal waste incinerators (MWIs), who are more prone to environmental pollution. We also sought to compare and analyze the residents?? perception of environmental pollution as one of the factors affecting heavy metal concentrations in the blood using a survey about the perceived damage caused by the facilities. Since heavy metal levels in the blood can be affected not only by local environmental pollution but also by personal and occupational factors, heavy metal levels in the blood need to be verified and consistently monitored.

Methods

Residents who live within 300?m of MWIs in Seoul are acknowledged to be under indirect influence according to the Waste Disposal Act. A survey was given to 841 residents living within 300?m of a MWI from 2006 to 2009. The concentrations of heavy metals (lead, cadmium, and mercury) in the blood were measured in the 841 surveyed residents and in 105 residents in reference areas. Additionally, the perception of the damage caused by municipal waste incinerators was investigated using scores from 1 to 5 on a Likert scale.

Results

The measurements of the heavy metal concentrations in the blood showed that the mean concentrations of lead, cadmium, and mercury were 43.1, 1.7, and 1.3?ug/L, respectively. The blood levels of lead and cadmium were slightly higher in the group of the subjects who had resided the longest near the municipal waste incinerators. When compared with the domestic investigation by the Ministry of Environment, the concentrations of lead and cadmium were a little higher, while that of mercury was a little lower. Overall, there was no significant difference in the distribution of heavy metal levels in the blood among age groups. Additionally, the investigation of the perceived damage from municipal waste incinerators showed that the subjects     

Assessment of waters and sediments impacted by drainage at the Young Dong coal mine site, South Korea

Introduction  

This study focused on the assessment of the geochemistry and hydrology of the Imgok Creek–Young Dong tributary for the design of a field coal mine drainage treatment system.     

高铁酸钾预处理对活性污泥脱水性能的影响

通过投入不同剂量的高铁酸钾于剩余活性污泥中,研究其对污泥絮体性质和脱水性能的影响作用。污泥絮体性质的研究包括絮体粒径的变化以及污泥EPS含量的变化。脱水性能的研究包括过滤脱水性能(以CST表征)以及脱水程度(离心泥饼含固率)。实验结果表明,高铁酸钾的强氧化性可以破坏污泥絮体结构,提高污泥的机械脱水程度;但同时污泥EPS含量增加,对污泥过滤脱水性能有负面影响。高铁酸钾氧化分解生成的Fe(OH)3具有絮凝能力,可以使污泥颗粒重新絮凝;而其混凝作用可以破坏污泥细胞的稳定性,提高污泥的沉降性能。     

TiO_2/SiO_2@γ-Fe_2O_3光催化剂的制备及其光催化性能

以共沉淀法制备的纳米Fe3O4为核,以正硅酸乙酯为硅源,通过溶胶-凝胶法制备了SiO2@Fe3O4壳-核结构纳米颗粒,再以钛酸四丁酯为钛源,通过溶胶-凝胶法、经焙烧制得TiO2/SiO2@γ-Fe2O3磁性纳米光催化剂。采用X射线衍射仪、透射电子显微镜、比表面分析仪、振动磁强计对光催化剂的结构进行了表征,以苯酚溶液为模拟废水对光催化剂的光催化性能进行了评价。实验结果表明:经500℃焙烧的光催化剂活性相为锐钛矿型TiO2;在苯酚溶液初始浓度为0.2mmol/L、苯酚溶液pH为7的条件下,COD去除率为70.9%。     

Integrating Environmental and Socio-Economic Indicators of a Linked Catchment–Coastal System Using Variable Environmental Intensity

Can we develop land use policy that balances the conflicting views of stakeholders in a catchment while moving toward long term sustainability? Adaptive management provides a strategy for this whereby measures of catchment performance are compared against performance goals in order to progressively improve policy. However, the feedback loop of adaptive management is often slow and irreversible impacts may result before policy has been adapted. In contrast, integrated modelling of future land use policy provides rapid feedback and potentially improves the chance of avoiding unwanted collapse events. Replacing measures of catchment performance with modelled catchment performance has usually required the dynamic linking of many models, both biophysical and socio-economic—and this requires much effort in software development. As an alternative, we propose the use of variable environmental intensity (defined as the ratio of environmental impact over economic output) in a loose coupling of models to provide a sufficient level of integration while avoiding significant effort required for software development. This model construct was applied to the Motueka Catchment of New Zealand where several biophysical (riverine water quantity, sediment, E. coli faecal bacteria, trout numbers, nitrogen transport, marine productivity) models, a socio-economic (gross output, gross margin, job numbers) model, and an agent-based model were linked. An extreme set of land use scenarios (historic, present, and intensive) were applied to this modelling framework. Results suggest that the catchment is presently in a near optimal land use configuration that is unlikely to benefit from further intensification. This would quickly put stress on water quantity (at low flow) and water quality (E. coli). To date, this model evaluation is based on a theoretical test that explores the logical implications of intensification at an unlikely extreme in order to assess the implications of likely growth trajectories from present use. While this has largely been a desktop exercise, it would also be possible to use this framework to model and explore the biophysical and economic impacts of individual or collective catchment visions. We are currently investigating the use of the model in this type of application.     

水解酸化-A2O污泥减量工艺的运行性能研究

生物处理单元采用水解酸化、多级串联接触曝气、连续流的除磷脱氮A2／O工艺,并辅以外排厌氧富磷污水侧流除磷,开发了一个新型的具有强化除磷脱氮功能的污泥减量HA—A／A—MCO工艺。用该工艺处理校园生活污水发现,在SRT60d、进水COD316～407mg／L、NH4＋-N30～40mg／L、TN35～53mg／L、TP8—12mg／L的条件下,出水COD≤18mg／L、NH4＋-N≤2．1mg／L、TN≤10．3mg／L、TP≤0．44mg／L。研究还发现,水解酸化池处理产生的VFA能有效促进生物除磷脱氮,导致厌氧释磷量达57mg／L,进入化学除磷池的侧流液量仅相当于进水量的13％;系统最主要的脱氮形式是SND和缺氧反硝化,SND脱氮占脱氮总量的50％,缺氧反硝化占26％;HA-A／A—MCO系统有效实现了生物相分离,并利用生物捕食作用获得较低的污泥产率,0．1gMLSS／gCOD。     

MBR技术的发展及应用

介绍了目前MBR的主要类型、膜污染情况、膜清洗方式以及MBR在不同领域的应用情况和工程实例,对MBR技术未来的发展趋势进行了预测。     

Comparison of summer and winter California central valley aerosol distributions from lidar and MODIS measurements

Aerosol distributions from two aircraft lidar campaigns conducted in the California Central Valley are compared in order to identify seasonal variations. Aircraft lidar flights were conducted in June 2003 and February 2007. While the ground PM_2.5 (particulate matter with diameter ≤ 2.5 μm) concentration was highest in the winter, the aerosol optical depth (AOD) measured from the MODIS and lidar instruments was highest in the summer. A multiyear seasonal comparison shows that PM_2.5 in the winter can exceed summer PM_2.5 by 68%, while summer AOD from MODIS exceeds winter AOD by 29%. Warmer temperatures and wildfires in the summer produce elevated aerosol layers that are detected by satellite measurements, but not necessarily by surface particulate matter monitors. Temperature inversions, especially during the winter, contribute to higher PM_2.5 measurements at the surface. Measurements of the mixing layer height from lidar instruments provide valuable information needed to understand the correlation between satellite measurements of AOD and in situ measurements of PM_2.5. Lidar measurements also reflect the ammonium nitrate chemistry observed in the San Joaquin Valley, which may explain the discrepancy between the MODIS AOD and PM_2.5 measurements.