Adolescents’ attitudes towards nature and environment: Quantifying the 2-MEV model

This study identifies clearly the need for refinement of instrumentation in this area of environmental studies. A questionnaire battery designed to measure the factors Utilization (U) and Preservation (P) in the field of adolescent environmental perception was administered to 467 German secondary school pupils. Maximum likelihood factor analysis yielded the two hypothesized orthogonal factors U and P; we labelled this scale the 2-MEV model, i.e. the 2 factor Model of Environmental Values (sets of related attitudes). These analyses provide a basis for the construction of a questionnaire specifically designed to measure U and P. Confirmation of this factor structure was examined by comparing the factors extracted from two independent pseudorandom subsamples selected from the original sample.     

Cyanobacterial bloom dynamics in Lake Taihu

<正>Lake Taihu is the third largest freshwater lake in China and serves as an important drinking water source for the local populace;however,decades of excessive nutrient loading fueled by anthropogenic activities have resulted in hypertrophic conditions,promoting the annual formation of nuisance phytoplankton blooms(Chen et al.,2003;Duan et al.,2009)     

CO2 adsorption using TiO2 composite polymeric membranes: A kinetic study

CO₂ is the main greenhouse gas which causes global climatic changes on larger scale. Many techniques have been utilised to capture CO₂. Membrane gas separation is a fast growing CO₂ capture technique, particularly gas separation by composite membranes. The separation of CO₂ by a membrane is not just a process to physically sieve out of CO₂ through the controlled membrane pore size. It mainly depends upon diffusion and solubility of gases, particularly for composite dense membranes. The blended components in composite membranes have a high capability to adsorb CO₂. The adsorption kinetics of the gases may directly affect diffusion and solubility. In this study, we have investigated the adsorption behaviour of CO₂ in pure and composite membranes to explore the complete understanding of diffusion and solubility of CO₂ through membranes. Pure cellulose acetate (CA) and cellulose acetate-titania nanoparticle (CA-TiO₂) composite membranes were fabricated and characterised using SEM and FTIR analysis. The results indicated that the blended CA-TiO₂ membrane adsorbed more quantity of CO₂ gas as compared to pure CA membrane. The high CO₂ adsorption capacity may enhance the diffusion and solubility of CO₂ in the CA-TiO₂ composite membrane, which results in a better CO₂ separation. The experimental data was modelled by Pseudo first-order, pseudo second order and intra particle diffusion models. According to correlation factor R², the Pseudo second order model was fitted well with experimental data. The intra particle diffusion model revealed that adsorption in dense membranes was not solely consisting of intra particle diffusion.     

Early responses of soil ammonium and nitrate nitrogen to forest gap harvesting of a Pinus massoniana plantation in the upper reaches of Yangtze River北大核心CSCD

To understand the short-term effects of forest gap by human harvesting on soil available nutrient in Pinus massoniana plantations, the variations of soil ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N) and nitrate nitrogen (NO3-N) concentrations in the gap center and gap edge during growing season were observed in seven gaps of different size (Gl: 100 m2; G2:225 m2; G3:400 m2; G4:625 m2; G5:900 m2; G6:1225 m2; G7:1600 m2) and pure understory of a 39-year-old masson pine plantation in a hilly area of the upper reaches of Yangtze River. The results showed that in the early stage of gap formation, the gap size had significant effect on NH4+-N, the season changes on NP3--N, and the interaction effect of gap size and seasonal variation on NH4+-N and NO3--N. The difference of NH4+-N and NO3--N between the gap center and gap edge was not significant. (I) The NH4+-N content was 4.30-11.99 mg kg-1, and NO3--N content was 2.57-10.81 mg kg-1. There was no obvious difference in NH4+-N and N03--N among gaps of different size in early or late growing seasons, when both increased first and decreased afterwards in the middle of growing season. The gaps of 100∼400 m2 area had a higher content of available nitrogen. (2) The seasonal dynamic differed between NH4+-N and NO3--N, with the former lower in middle growing season whereas the latter higher in the middle growing season but lower in the end of growing season. The soil NH4+-N was higher than NO3- -N in the early and late periods, but lower in the middle period. (3) The soil NH4+-N and NO3--N in parts of gaps were lower than understory in the early and late growing season. (4) Correlation analyses showed that NH4+-N had significant positive correlation with microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN), and NO3--N with soil temperature, MBN and organic matter. But the impact of soil water content on available nitrogen was not significant. These results suggested that soil temperature and microbial activity variation caused by gap harvesting are the main factors affecting soil available nitrogen content of Pinus massoniana plantations.     

Identification of two alkane hydroxylases involved in long-chain n-alkane degradation by Dietzia sp. DQ12-45-1b北大核心CSCD

The aim of this study was to identify genes involved in long-chain alkane degradation in Dietzia sp. DQ12-45-1b. Functional genes were annotated by genome analysis. Induction of alkane hydroxylase genes by C28 n-alkane was analyzed by using quantitative real-time PCR in wild-type Dietzia sp. DQ12-45-1b and its alkW1 gene knockout mutant strain M 5-5. From the genome of Dietzia sp. DQ12-45-1b, two homologues, G1 and G2 genes were annotated, which showed 50% amino acid sequence similarity with AlmA from Acinetobacter sp. DSM17874, and 48% amino acid sequence similarity with LadA from Geobacillus thermodenitrificans NG80-2, respectively. In addition, G1 showed 71% amino acid sequence similarity with G1a, and G2 showed 34% and 87% amino acid sequence similarities with G2a and G2ß, respectively, which were annotated from Dietzia sp. E1 genome. In addition, the alkW1 gene knockout strain M 5-5 could grow with C28 n-alkane as the sole carbon source, indicating the presence of potential long-chain alkane hydroxylase gene(s) other than alkW1 in Diezia sp. DQ12-45-1b. Accordingly, induction of G1 and G2 genes was observed when Dietzia ap. DQ12-45-1b and alkW1 knockout mutant strain M 5-5 grew with C28 n-alkane as sole carbon source. The results indicated that G1 and G2 genes are mostly responsible for the degradation of long-chain alkanes in Dietzia sp. DQ12-45-1b, which has unique multiple alkane hydroxylase systems.     

Evaluation of carbon-based nanosorbents synthesised by ethylene decomposition on stainless steel substrates as potential sequestrating materials for nickel ions in aqueous solution

The present work covers the preparation of carbon-based nanosorbents by ethylene decomposition on stainless steel mesh without the use of external catalyst for the treatment of water containing nickel ions (Ni²⁺). The reaction temperature was varied from 650 to 850℃, while reaction time and ethylene to nitrogen flow ratio were maintained at 30 min and 1:1 cm³/min, respectively. Results show that nanosorbents synthesised at a reaction temperature of 650℃ had the smallest average diameter (75 nm), largest BET surface area (68.95 m²/g) and least amount of impurity (0.98 wt.% Fe). A series of batch sorption tests were performed to evaluate the effects of initial pH, initial metal concentration and contact time on Ni²⁺ removal by the nanosorbents. The equilibrium data fitted well to Freundlich isotherm. The kinetic data were best correlated to a pseudo second-order model indicating that the process was of chemisorption type. Further analysis by the Boyd kinetic model revealed that boundary layer diffusion was the controlling step. This primary study suggests that the prepared material with Freundlich constants compared well with those in the literature, is a promising sorbent for the sequestration of Ni²⁺ in aqueous solutions.     

Anaerobic digestion and co-digestion of slaughterhouse waste (SHW): Influence of heat and pressure pre-treatment in biogas yield

Mesophilic anaerobic digestion (34 ± 1 °C) of pre-treated (for 20 min at 133 °C, >3 bar) slaughterhouse waste and its co-digestion with the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) have been assessed. Semi-continuously-fed digesters worked with a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 36 d and organic loading rates (OLR) of 1.2 and 2.6 kg VS_feed/m³ d for digestion and co-digestion, respectively, with a previous acclimatization period in all cases. It was not possible to carry out an efficient treatment of hygienized waste, even less so when OFMSW was added as co-substrate. These digesters presented volatile fatty acids (VFA), long chain fatty acids (LCFA) and fats accumulation, leading to instability and inhibition of the degradation process. The aim of applying a heat and pressure pre-treatment to promote splitting of complex lipids and nitrogen-rich waste into simpler and more biodegradable constituents and to enhance biogas production was not successful. These results indicate that the temperature and the high pressure of the pre-treatment applied favoured the formation of compounds that are refractory to anaerobic digestion.The pre-treated slaughterhouse wastes and the final products of these systems were analyzed by FTIR and TGA. These tools verified the existence of complex nitrogen-containing polymers in the final effluents, confirming the formation of refractory compounds during pre-treatment.     

An interval-parameter stochastic robust optimization model for supporting municipal solid waste management under uncertainty

A stochastic robust interval linear programming model (IPRO) was developed for supporting municipal solid waste management under uncertainty. The model improves upon the existing stochastic robust optimization (SRO) and interval linear programming (ILP) methods by allowing evaluations of trade-offs among expected costs, cost variability, and risk of violating relax constraints simultaneously, as well as reflections of complex uncertainties through both interval and stochastic theories. A long-term waste management problem was used to demonstrate the applicability of IPRO model. The results indicated that IPRO normally led to interval solutions, where waste-management alternatives could be generated by adjusting the decision-variable values within their intervals. The model could also help waste managers to identify desired policies that under various environmental, economic, system-feasibility and system-reliability constraints.     

Influx,transport, and accumulation of cadmium in plant species grown at different Cd2+ activities

Abstract

Cadmium (Cd) has no known essential biological function, but it is toxic to plants, animals, and humans. A promising approach to prevent Cd from entering the food chain would be to select and/or create Cd‐accumulating plants to remediate contaminated soils or to develop Cd‐excluding plants to reduce Cd flow from soils into foods. The present study was undertaken to examine the differences in Cd influx, transport, and accumulation among five plant species in relation to plant tolerance to Cd toxicity. Ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) had the least reduction in dry matter which may be due to its lowest Cd transport rate (TR) to shoots at all Cd levels among the plant species tested. White‐clover (Trifolium repens L.) was the most sensitive species to Cd toxicity, likely because of its highest Cd influx rate (IR) and high TR when plants were grown at low Cd²⁺ activity (≤8 μM). The high tolerance of cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata L.) to moderate Cd toxicity (≤14 μM) appeared to be mainly due to the detoxification of Cd inside plant tissue since it recorded the highest TR and relatively high IR for Cd among the tested species. At Cd²⁺ activities up to 28 uM, the Cd uptake ratios of shoot/root for ryegrass were, on average, about 50‐fold and 27‐fold lower than that for cabbage and maize (Zea mays L.), respectively. These results showed that Cd could be easily transported into shoots of cabbage and maize, but was mainly confined to roots of ryegrass. We suggest that influx and transport rates, especially transport rate, could be used as plant physiological parameters for screening Cd‐excluding genotypes among monocotyledonous plants.