Ecological and economic impacts of green roofs and permeable pavements at the city level: the case of Corvallis,Oregon

A city's spatial footprint is covered by extensive impervious building roofs and paved surfaces, which contribute to greater storm-water runoff, more surface pollutants, and less carbon sequestration, hence, worse ecosystem services. This research conducts an empirical study on the ecological and economic impacts of a citywide adoption of green roofs and permeable pavements in Corvallis, OR. The effects on ecosystem services of using green roofs and pervious pavements for a low impact development are modelled using Integrated Value of Ecosystem Services Trade-offs and compared to those from the City's current conventional development without green roofs and pervious pavements. The differences are analysed for ecological impact by storm-water yield, storm-water purification, and carbon sequestration and economic impact by a cost-benefit comparison. The results indicate that low impact development, especially intensive green roofs on commercial/industrial buildings and permeable pavements for parking lots, plays a significant role, even with a higher initial implementation cost, for long-term urban sustainability.     

Possible particulate nitrite formation and its atmospheric implications inferred from the observations in Seoul,Korea

Simultaneous measurements of gaseous species and fine-mode, particulate inorganic components were performed at the University of Seoul, Seoul in Korea. In the simultaneous measurements, a certain level of nitrous acid (HONO) was observed in the gas-phase, indicating possible heterogeneous HONO production on the surface of the ambient aerosols. On the other hand, high particulate nitrite (NO^2?) concentrations of 1.41(±2.26) μg/m³ were also measured, which sometimes reached 18.54 μg/m³. In contrast, low HONO-to-NO₂ ratios of 0.007(±0.006) were observed in Seoul. This indicates that a significant fraction of HONO is dissolved in atmospheric aerosols. Around the Seoul site, sufficient alkalinity may have been provided to the atmospheric aerosols from the excessive presence of NH₃ in the gas-phase. Due to the alkaline particulate conditions (defined in this study as a particle pH >～3.29), the HONO molecules produced at the surface of the atmospheric aerosols appeared to have been converted into particulate nitrite, thereby preventing their further participation in the atmospheric O₃/NO_y/HO_x photochemical cycles. It was estimated that a minimum average of 65% of HONO was captured by alkaline, anthropogenic, urban particles in the Seoul measurements.     

Science, Power, and System Dynamics: the Political Economy of Conservation Biology

Abstract: Frustration with the lack of action on conservation issues by governments has sparked debate around the policy role of conservation biologists. We analyzed the political economy of conservation biology, that is, of the dynamics of the political and economic structures within which conservation biology operates, and we suggest more productive means for conservation biologists to achieve conservation goals. Within the modern state, conservation goals are marginalized because the growth needs of industrial capital have the highest priority. Environmental advocacy within this system largely addresses only proximate concerns and has limited success. Science is a product of modern society, but scientists now need to foster novel institutional arrangements in which humans can function within the limits of natural systems. This entails a larger recognition of the inherent contradictions residing within current institutions that themselves depend on unsustainably high resource flows. As one critical counterbalance to these institutions, we discuss community-based management and research as primary institutions through which sustainable use of natural resources might be achieved.     

A Comparison Study of Wheat Gluten Composites Filled with Dialdehyde Starch and Native Starch

Environmentally friendly green composites were prepared by blending Wheat gluten (WG) as matrix, dialdehyde starch (DAS) as filler and glycerol as plasticizer followed by compression molding of the mixture at 110 °C. The properties of the WG/DAS composite are compared with those of the WG/native wheat starch (NWS) composites. While tensile strength and strain at break decrease with increasing NWS content in the WG/NWS composites, a small content of DAS could improve tensile strength and strain at break simultaneously in the WG/DAS composites. The WG/DAS composites exhibit reduced moisture absorption in comparison with the WG/NEW composites. Formation of chemical bonding between DAS and WG is beneficial for the dispersion of DAS in the WG matrix and WG/DAS composites exhibit improved mechanical properties and reduced moisture absorption over the WG/NWS composites.     

转轮式洗轮机对车轮带泥的冲洗效果

施工车辆车轮带泥是我国道路扬尘污染控制面临的共性和突出问题。为在国内推广使用洗轮机提供技术依据，通过检测工地出口外道路积尘负荷来估算转轮式洗轮机对车轮带泥的冲洗效率，并以该洗轮机作为车轮带泥检测设备，检测和统计北京市车轮带泥量。结果表明，（1）转轮式洗轮机可以将工地出口外100m道路积尘负荷增量由64．4g／m2降至5．9g／m2，转轮式洗轮机对车轮带泥的冲洗效率大于90％；（2）渣土车和混凝土车车轮带泥量的平均值分别为5．1和2．2kg／车；（3）北京市未来车轮带泥量将超过8．8万t／a，施工车辆全部经过转轮式洗轮机冲洗后，车轮带泥量可削减7．9万t／a。建议在相关法律法规中以强制性条款落实施工车辆车轮带泥机械化冲洗要求。     

中国煤矿安全管理的创新模式--蝴蝶模式

本文针对目前我国煤矿安全管理多采用西方安全管理模式而存在的不适合现象，提出了一种基于仁爱思想的蝴蝶式安全管理模式，以“仁爱”思想为核心，结合西方制度制约的硬性管理及中国道德制约的柔性管理，构造出动静结合的蝴蝶模式，并对该模式的特征和运行机制进行了分析。     

Recycling of crushed waste rock as backfilling material in coal mine: effects of particle size on compaction behaviours

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Crushed waste rocks can be used as materials for backfilling goafs, so as to achieve the simultaneous goals of processing solid waste and controlling...     

Association between pyrethroid exposure and risk of depressive symptoms in the general US adults

This study aimed to investigate the association between pyrethroid exposure and the risk of depressive symptoms in adults in the USA. Data of participants aged ≥20 years (n = 6455) from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES, 2007–2014) were included. 3-Phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA), an adequately detected pyrethroid metabolite, was used as a biomarker to assess pyrethroid exposure. Depressive symptoms were defined as the Patient’s Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) total score ≥10 or use of antidepressant. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the association between urinary 3-PBA levels and the risk of depressive symptoms. In this study, 1150 participants (weighted frequency, 18.45%) developed depressive symptoms. Participants in the highest tertile have a higher risk of depressive symptoms than those in the lowest tertile of urinary 3-PBA and weighted OR of 1.28 (95% CI, 1.00–1.63, P=0.019). There was a nonlinear association between urinary 3-PBA and depressive symptoms (P for nonlinearity = 0.034). Mediation analysis showed the mediating effect of trouble sleeping on the association of urinary 3-PBA with depressive symptoms was 28.8% (P = 0.006). Our findings indicate that pyrethroid exposure is associated with the increased risk of depressive symptoms, and trouble sleeping may mediated this association. Further studies should be conducted to validate our findings and elucidate their underlying mechanisms.

     

An early warning and control system for urban, drinking water quality protection: China’s experience

An event-driven, urban, drinking water quality early warning and control system (DEWS) is proposed to cope with China’s urgent need for protecting its urban drinking water. The DEWS has a web service structure and provides users with water quality monitoring functions, water quality early warning functions, and water quality accident decision-making functions. The DEWS functionality is guided by the principles of control theory and risk assessment as applied to the feedback control of urban water supply systems. The DEWS has been deployed in several large Chinese cities and found to perform well insofar as water quality early warning and emergency decision-making is concerned. This paper describes a DEWS for urban water quality protection that has been developed in China.