A concise review of ecological risk assessment for urban ecosystem application associated with rapid urbanization processes

ABSTRACT

Urban ecological risk (UER) caused by rapid urbanization means potential threat to urban ecosystem structure, pattern and services. The scales of ecological risk assessment (ERA) have been expanded from individual organisms to watersheds and regions. The types of stressor range from chemical to physical, biological and natural events. However, the application of ERA in urban ecosystems is relatively new. Here, we summarize the progress of urban ERA and propose an explicit framework to illumine future ERA based on UER identification, analysis, characterization, modeling, projection and early warning and management. The summary includes six urban ERA-relevant methods: weight-of-evidence (WoE), procedure for ecological tiered assessment of risks (PETAR), relative risk model (RRM), multimedia, multi-pathway, multi-receptor risk assessment (3MRA), landscape analysis and ecological models. Furthermore, we review critical cases of urban ERA in landscape ecology, soil, air, water and solid waste. Based on the Internet of Things (IoT) and cloud computing, an urban ERA management platform integrates various urban ERA methodologies that can be developed to provide better implementation strategies of UER for urban ecosystem managers and stakeholders. We develop a conceptual model of urban ERA based on the urban characteristics in China. The future applications of urban ERA include uncertainty analysis using Monte Carlo techniques on the basis of geospatial techniques and comprehensive urban ERA using nonlinear models or process models.     

Experimental study on the feasibility of explosion suppression by vacuum chambers

In view of the invalidity of suppression and isolation apparatus for gas explosion, a closed vacuum chamber structure for explosion suppression with a fragile plane was designed on the base of the suction of vacuum. Using methane as combustible gas, a series of experiments on gas explosion were carried out to check the feasibility of the vacuum chamber suppressing explosion by changing methane concentration and geometric structure of the vacuum chamber. When the vacuum chamber was not connected to the tunnel, detonation would happen in the tunnel at methane volume fraction from 9.3% to 11.5%, with flame propagation velocity exceeding 2000 m/s, maximum peak value overpressure reaching 0.7 MPa, and specific impulse of shock wave running up to 20 kPa s. When the vacuum chamber with 5/34 of the tunnel volume was connected to the flank of the tunnel, gas explosion of the same concentration would greatly weaken with flame propagation velocity declining to about 200 m/s, the quenching distance decreasing to 3/4 of the tunnel length, maximum peak value overpressure running down to 0.1-0.15 MPa and specific impulse of shock wave below 0.9 kPa s. The closer the position accessed to the ignition end, the greater explosion intensity weakened. There was no significant difference between larger section and smaller vacuum chambers in degree of maximum peak value overpressure and specific impulse declining, except that quenching fire effect of the former was superior to the latter. The distance of fire quenching could be improved by increasing the number of the vacuum chambers.     

Lead contamination in tea leaves and non-edaphic factors affecting it

Recent tests have detected high lead (Pb) concentrations in some commercial brands of tea leaves and this finding has raised concerns due to the possible health-related problems associated with Pb poisoning. In present research, we investigated the Pb contamination in tea leaves produced in Zhejiang province in China. Pb concentrations in all tea leaves sampled were below 5 mg/kg, the permissible levels given by Chinese Ministry of Agriculture, indicating that Pb contamination in this province is not excessive. We then investigated the non-edaphic factors that may potentially contribute to Pb accumulation in tea leaves. Pb concentration in tea leaves was found to be positively correlated with the industrialization level of a district (R = 0.83, the significant level at P < 0.05), and greater amounts of Pb were washed from the leaves of plants in districts with more industrial activity. This suggests that Pb accumulation in tea leaves could, in part, be attributed to industrial activity through the precipitation of atmospheric Pb. Furthermore greater amounts of Pb were washed from the leaves of plants growing near road than those growing farther away from road. This trend indicates that automobile activity was another likely contributor to Pb accumulation in tea. Pb content of green tea was also affected by the processing of the leaves in the factory. In particular the twisting and water-removal stages caused increases in Pb content in the tea product. This study suggests that non-edaphic factors also contribute to the Pb accumulation in tea.     

Nano-crystal glass-ceramics obtained by crystallization of vitrified red mud

Glass has been obtained by melting red mud from Shandong Province in China with different additives. Suitable thermal treatments were employed to convert the obtained glass into nano-crystal glass-ceramics. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns showed that the main crystalline phase in both the glass-ceramics is wollastonite (CaSiO3). These crystals are homogeneously dispersed within the parent glass, with an average crystal size of less than 100 nm. The size of nano-crystals varies when different thermal processes were used. Physical and mechanical properties, such as density, thermal expansion coefficient, hardness, and bending strength, of the two glasses have been examined and the corresponding microstructures are discussed. These results demonstrate that both glass-ceramics have potential for a wide range of construction application.     

论发展中国家在经济全球化中的环境安全对策

环境安全是国家安全的重要组成部分。随着人口的增长和人类生产规模的扩大,环境安全问题已经引起了人们越来越多的关注。在经济全球化过程中,由于发达国家掠夺式的原料进口、污染转移,发展中国家的环境安全问题变得尤为突出。因此,发展中国家应处理好经济全球化、发展与环境安全之间的关系,从国际经济交往和环境合作中寻求机遇,从发展中维护环境安全。     

实用视频干扰抑制器研制探讨

视频干扰是电视监控工程中最为头痛的事,如何抑制或解除干扰？针对这一问题,笔者和同事们进行了“实用视频干扰抑制器”的研究与开发工作。历经两年时间,在受到不同性质干扰的电视监控工程（电梯、石化、医院、电信、铁路、电台和电力等）中实地反复试验测试，找出解除干扰的办法,应用研发的“实用视频干扰抑制器”解除了这些电视监控工程中图像受到的干扰。     

9-21台湾M_S7.6大地震的启示

1999 年9 月21 日台湾南投发生MS7 .6 强烈地震,造成生命财产的严重损失。两岸同胞骨肉相连,我们在深切关注这次地震的同时,也从中得到启示:1- 沿此次发震断层车笼埔断层一线构筑物毁坏极为严重,由此可见,城市建设和居民安家应尽力避开活断层。2- 必须加强构筑物的抗震设防,各类建设项目必须有规范的抗震设计、专业的施工监理和严格的验收程式。3- 抗震救灾工作中应注重高科技成份的投入和救灾队伍的训练有素。     

Humification characterization of biochar and its potential as a composting amendment

Biochar has received increasing attention due to its applications as a soil amendment. Here, the chemical properties of solid and water-extractable fractions of four biochar samples were investigated. The results showed that wood biochar and bamboo biochar samples were 60%–80% more hydrophobic than those of rice husk biochar and rice husk ash. In addition, the acidity was 3.88 mmol/g from the total functional groups and 1.03 mmol/g from the carboxyl groups/lactones/phenols found in the wood biochar sample, which were about 1.5 times greater than those of the bamboo biochar sample. These functional groups could be used to determine the sorptive capacity of biochar for ionic solutes and water content and to increase the degradation of compost organics. The wood biochar sample was found to have the most humification materials(fulvic acid-like material + humic acid-like material) in the water-extractable fraction, which was 3–10 times higher than that in the rice husk biochar and rice husk ash; humified materials were not detected in the bamboo biochar sample. Humification materials in biochar may be involved in increasing the proportion of humic acid-like materials in humic-like substances within the compost product. Wood biochar had better hydrophobic, sorptive, aromatic, and humification properties compared to other biochars, suggesting that it may be used in composting in order to exert its effect as both a bulking agent and a composting amendment during the solid waste composting process.     

Products of methotrexate during chlorination

Methotrexate(MTX)is a cytotoxic drug widely used in the treatment of tumors,autoimmune diseases and severe asthma. jen00883 This drug has been frequently detected in the aquatic environment with concentrations up to μg/L levels. The MTX present in environmental water might be transformed and removed during chlorination disinfection treatment. In this work,the fate of MTX during aqueous chlorination was investigated in laboratory batch experiments,and the transformation products of MTX were identified. Aqueous solutions of MTX(1 mg/L)were chlorinated by sodium hypochlorite solution at room temperature under neutral p H conditions. Chlorinated products were pre-concentrated with solid-phase extraction(SPE)cartridges and determined by liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry(LC–ESI–MS/MS). The reaction of MTX chlorination exhibited pseudo-first-order kinetics and the half-life time of MTX degradation was calculated to be 1.65 min,when the initial chlorine concentration was 2 mg/L. Two chlorinated MTX congeners,4-amino-3-chlorinated-N10-methylpteroylglutamic(monochloro-MTX)and 4-amino-3,5-dichloro-N10-methylpteroylglutamic(dichloro-MTX)were found in the chlorinated solution. Monochloro-MTX was successfully fractionated by high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC)and its structure was further identified using ~1H nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR)analysis. The presence of the two products in real hospital wastewater was then examined and both compounds were detected. Finally,the effects of MTX and monochloro-MTX on the cell cycle progression in vitro were evaluated using zebrafish liver cell line. It was found that both compounds could inhibit the proliferation of zebrafish liver cells through S phase arrest and their effects on the cell cycle profile had no significant difference.     

中国南海渔业环境资源的保护研究

南海渔业资源具有"公共池塘资源"的基本属性是导致其面临地缘政治紧张局势的内生困境,为此有必要从南海渔业在低敏度领域的现实表征为立足点,与南海领土主权与海域划界争端等高敏度领域相互结合的角度考察与评判南海渔业资源环境保护的主权变动动向:应该注重传统捕鱼权在南海周边国家的海洋管辖权边界的应用.以东南亚渔业管理组织和新建立南海渔业管理组织联合协同组织新的东南亚渔业管理组织必定有助于南海渔业资源纠纷的解决.