Association of plutonium with sediments from the Ob and Yenisey Rivers and Estuaries

The present study applied sequential extraction techniques to investigate the binding and mobility of plutonium (Pu) in sediments from the rivers and estuaries of the Ob and Yenisey. As a study site, the Ob and Yenisey are particularly interesting as both rivers have weapons-grade Pu sources in their catchment areas, including the Russian Pu production and reprocessing plants at Mayak, Tomsk-7 and Krashnoyarsk, and the Semipalantinsk nuclear weapons testing site in Kazakhstan. Plutonium activity and ²⁴⁰Pu/²³⁹Pu ratios were determined using accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). Sequential extractions showed that between 47 and 80% of the Pu in Yenisey River sediments and 35–53% of the Pu in soils around the Techa River are mobilized with weak oxidising agents, which can indicate that Pu is bound to organic material. In contrast, Pu in Ob and Yenisey Estuarine sediments was more strongly bound, with 60–100% being found in the HNO₃-extractable fraction. This change in speciation could reflect either that Pu bound to organic material in the Techa and Yenisey River sediments becomes more fixed to the sediments with time, or that organic-bound Pu is mobilized and released to the water when the sediments encounter the more saline water of the Ob and Yenisey estuaries. In general, ²⁴⁰Pu/²³⁹Pu ratios were relatively consistent between different extraction fractions, although, in whole sediments, an increase in ratio was observed with distance from the source. This reflects the increased influence of weapon fallout from catchment runoff within the river systems, as compared to the weapons-grade sources close to the production and reprocessing plants. Knowledge of Pu speciation in the Ob and Yenisey Rivers, and the processes controlling its behaviour in estuarine systems, can improve predictions of its transfer and subsequent environmental impact to Arctic Seas.     

研发投入对我国上市环保企业绩效的影响分析

研发投入是技术创新的基础,而创新是一个企业的核心竞争力,直接影响企业的效益及发展。选取2016—2019年我国沪深两市环保行业61家上市公司连续4年的面板数据作为研究对象,采用多元回归分析的方法实证分析环保上市公司研发投入对公司绩效的影响,并分析研发投入的滞后效应。结果显示:研发资金投入强度在当期对公司绩效有负向作用,在滞后一期时与资产收益率呈正相关,滞后两期时与主营业务利润率呈正相关;而研发人员投入强度对企业绩效在当期就有促进作用。为促进企业高质量发展,应当加大研发资金长期性投入,提升研发人员创新能力,加强研发成果转化。     

基于政策工具的中国生物质发电补贴政策评估

生物质发电兼具环境效益与社会效益,对支撑中国推进能源消费革命和乡村振兴,实现碳达峰、碳中和目标具有重要意义。对截至2020年12月31日国家层面出台的生物质发电补贴相关政策进行梳理,运用政策工具理论与方法,从环境、供给、需求3个角度,研发、投资推广、原料资源、生产并网、消费5个环节评估生物质发电补贴政策的实施情况和存在问题,提出生物质发电补贴政策的优化建议。结果表明,现阶段生物质发电产业在研发、原料供应、基础设施领域补贴不足,财政补贴有逐步退坡并向市场机制转变趋势,但相应政策工具及制度创新尚存在欠缺。中国生物质发电补贴政策应在更多关注技术研发、充分涉及中间链条、完善激励机制等方面不断改进,并大力强化市场培育,在配套措施保障下引入市场机制,以促进产业长期可持续发展。     

Growth and alkaline phosphatase activity of Chattonella marina and Heterosigma akashiwo in response to phosphorus limitation

The growth and alkaline phosphatase activity (APA) of two raphidophyceae species Chattonella marina and Heterosigma akashiwo were investigated in response to P-limitation and subsequent addition of dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP, NaH₂PO₄) and two dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP) compounds: guanosine 5-monophosphate (GMP) and triethyl phosphate (TEP). APAlevels increased greatly after P-starvation as the decrease of the cellular phosphorus quotes (Q_p). C. marina responded to P-limitation quickly and strongly, with 10-fold increase in APA within 24 hr after P-starvation. The larger difference between maximal and minimal Q_p values in C. marina indicated its high capacity in P storage. APA of H. akashiwo wasmaximally enlarged about 2.5 times at 48 hr of P-starvation. After the addition of nutrients, cell numbers of C. marina increased in all treatments including the P-free culture, demonstrating the higher endurance of C. marina to P-limitation. However, those of H. akashiwo increased only in DIP and GMP cultures. APA increased only after the addition of the monophosphate ester GMP. The results suggest that quick responses of C. marina to P-limitation, high capacity in P storage as well as endurance for P-depletion provide this species an ecological advantage in phytoplankton community competition under DIP-limited conditions.     

A review on submarine oil and gas leakage in near field: droplets and plume

The 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill remains the largest catastrophic release of oil and gas into the deep sea. The irrupted oil and gas substantially impact a marine ecosystem, cause human injury, and have high societal opinions. Therefore, understanding the transport and dispersion of subsurface hydrocarbon provides an imperative substratum for the practical assessment and response of marine oil spill accidents. In this review, we summarize the major advances since the Deepwater Horizon accident, with emphasis on the observation and modeling of the droplet and the formation and dynamics of the plume. Additional complexity including more than the investigation of gas-saturated oil at high-pressure and the effect of Earth’s rotation on near field plume is also outlined. We end with a few outlooks on key priorities for more precisely estimations on future oil spills.

     

Impact of particle sizes on health risks and source-specific health risks for heavy metals in road dust

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - To analyze the impact of particle sizes on sources and related health risks for heavy metals, road dust samples in Beijing were collected and sifted...     

Direct degradation of methylene blue by unactivated peroxymonosulfate: reaction parameters,kinetics, and mechanism

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) are efficient methods for water purification. However, there are few studies on using peroxymonosulfate (PMS) to...     

Research on the evolution characteristics of future climate change in West Liao River Basin

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In order to explore the characteristics of climate change in the future in the West Liao River Basin under the background of future climate change,...     

How financial development affects green energy finance? Relationship between environmental regulation and economic performance

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The construction of green finance index is a three-tiered process that involves macroeconomic, ecological, and monetary indicators. Therefore, this...     

Woody residues of the grape production chain as an alternative precursor of high porous activated carbon with remarkable performance for naproxen uptake from water

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Activated carbon prepared from grape branches was used as a remarkable adsorbent to uptake naproxen and treat a synthetic mixture from aqueous...