In-situ synthesis of TiO2 rutile/anatase heterostructure by DC magnetron sputtering at room temperature and thickness effect of outermost rutile layer on photocatalysis

TiO_2 rutile/anatase heterostructure thin films with varying rutile thickness have been in-situ synthesized via DC magnetron sputtering with Ar gas at room temperature. The crystal texture, surface morphology, energy gap and optical properties of the films have been investigated by X-ray diffraction meter, grazing incidence X-ray diffraction meter, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and UV–visible spectrophotometer, which indicates that the rutile/anatase heterostructure films are successfully fabricated. The further degradation experiments display that the photocatalytic activity can be dramatically affected by the thickness of the outmost rutile layer and the 100 nm thickness exhibits the best performance in all of the TiO_2 thin films. With the increase of the outmost rutile layer, the optical band gap of TiO_2 film displays a systematic decrease slightly. However,the change in photocatalytic activity does not coincide with that in the band gap. The photoresponse and electrochemical properties of the thin films have been characterized to understand the mechanism of the varied photocatalytic activity.     

Pd-MnO2 nanoparticles/TiO2 nanotube arrays (NTAs) photo-electrodes photo-catalytic properties and their ability of degrading Rhodamine B under visible light

Pd-MnO_2/TiO_2 nanotube arrays(NTAs) photo-electrodes were successfully fabricated via anodization and electro deposition subsequently; the obtained Pd-MnO_2/TiO_2 NTAs photo electrodes were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy(SEM), X-ray diffraction(XRD) and characterized accordingly. Moreover, the light harvesting and absorption properties were investigated via ultraviolet–visible diffuse reflectance spectrum(DRS); photo degradation efficiency was investigated via analyzing the photo catalytic degradation of Rhodamine B under visible illumination(xenon light). The performed analyses illustrated that Pd-MnO_2 codoped particles were successfully deposited onto the surface of the TiO_2 nanotube arrays;DRS results showed significant improvement in visible light absorption which was between400 and 700 nm. Finally, the photo catalytic degradation efficiency results of the designated organic pollutant(Rhodamine B) illustrated a superior photocatalytic(PC) efficiency of approximately 95% compared to the bare TiO_2 NTAs, which only exhibited a photo catalytic degradation efficiency of approximately 61%, thus it indicated the significant enhancement of the light absorption properties of fabricated photo electrodes and their yield of UOH radicals.     

山林地表慢渗系统处理农村生活污水厂尾水研究

利用山区污水处理厂周边森林植被构建慢速渗滤污水处理系统,用来处理山区农村生活污水厂尾水。结果表明,慢渗系统能够深度净化污水尾水,对COD_(Cr)、NH_3-N、NO_3-N、TN、TP的平均去除率分别为23.8%、40.2%、14.3%、11.3%和23.6%。并且土层越深,COD_(Cr)、TN、TP浓度越低,相应的去除率越高,而NO_3-N、TN去除率则呈降低趋势;山体坡度越大,COD_(Cr)、氨氮浓度有升高趋势,硝态氮、TN、TP有降低趋势;而坡长越大,COD_(Cr)、NH_3-N、NO_3-N、TN浓度有降低趋势,TP有升高趋势。此外,植被类型对水样化学性质有一定影响,竹林更利于COD_(Cr)、NH_3-N、TP浓度的降低,针阔混交林更利于NO_3-N、TN浓度的降低。     

菌渣中阿维菌素残留检测方法及其无害化工艺研究

文章建立了简单、快速的阿维菌素菌渣中阿维菌素残留量高校液相色谱检测方法以及利用水热法处理阿维菌素菌渣。采用固相萃取-高效液相色谱检测方法测定阿维菌素菌渣中阿维菌素残留量,提取剂为乙腈/水=4/1(V/V),采用HLB固相萃取柱进行净化。加标回收率90.3%~107.3%,相对标准偏差(RSD)为3.00%~5.69%,阿维2菌素标准曲线线性相关系数R~2=0.999 6,线性范围为1.0~1 000 mg/L。利用正交实验,水热法处理阿维菌素菌渣,在190℃的温度下处理2 h后,菌渣中阿维菌素残留量由991.30降至0.84 mg/kg,去除率达99.92%。处理前后的菌渣与有机肥标准作对比,除含水率外其余检测指标均达到有机肥标准要求。该项研究为阿维菌素菌渣的资源化利用提供了理论依据。     

烟草废弃物快速堆肥过程中重金属Cd形态变化特征

以烟草废弃物为原料,活性土壤为载体建立堆体,研究重金属镉的形态变化,及堆肥过程中的动态变化规律。结果表明,烟草废弃物与活性土壤混合能快速腐熟。堆肥总质量下降,重金属镉含量相对增加。重金属镉的铁锰氧化态比例增加19%,有机结合态比例在堆肥升温阶段增加,腐熟后有所下降。残渣态比例大幅度上升,增加达到5倍,且在腐熟阶段增幅最大。说明堆肥处理有利于降低重金属镉的活性。     

我国核事故应急“十三五”规划思路研究

通过分析我国核事故应急体系在应急预案、应急指挥、应急救援、技术支持、应急演习等多方面的已有能力,学习国外核电强国的核应急管理经验,总结福岛核事故应急的经验教训,发现我国现有核事故应急体系存在的问题,并提出"十三五"期间我国核事故应急的主要对策和措施,以期为我国核事故应急体系建设提供科学的和系统的工作思路。     

Evaluating the technical efficiencies of fishing vessels to achieve effective management of overexploited fisheries

Global marine capture fisheries are undergoing serious stress, with overfishing as one of the major problems. In order to mitigate the overexploitation of capture fisheries, government regulation or fisheries management is necessary. Among various management approaches, vessel quantity control is being widely employed. To achieve effective governance of fisheries, the technical efficiency (TE) issue needs to be considered in the implementation of vessel quantity control. Using the Pacific saury (Cololabis saira) stick-held dip net fishery in Japan as a case study, this paper estimated the TE of sampled fishing vessels and explored the possible factors affecting the gap in efficiency. This paper aims to provide suggestions for a better implementation of vessel quantity control in global Pacific saury fishery, and also to serve as an empirical example of integrating TE analysis into management of overexploited fisheries for achieving satisfactory effects. Results show the TE score of the sampled fishery averaged around 0.7 from 2009 to 2014, and factors concerning owners/skippers’ motivation such as vessel ownership and specialization, vessel tonnage as well as skippers’ age show positive effects on the TE. Our findings in the present work provide important strategies for mitigating overexploitation in fisheries. Conducting technical efficiency analysis of targeted fisheries is a vital issue to be considered for designing and realizing an effective implementation of fisheries management approaches. The large vessels and the enthusiasm of vessel owners/skippers need to be particularly addressed when vessel quantity limit is considered to mitigate the problem of overfishing.     

Assessment of inherent vulnerability of forests at landscape level: a case study from Western Ghats in India

Assessment of vulnerability is an important step in building long-term resilience in the forestry sector. The objective of this paper is to present a methodological approach to assess inherent vulnerability of forests at landscape level. The approach involves use of vulnerability indicators, the pairwise comparison method, and geographic information system (GIS) tools. We apply this approach to assess the inherent vulnerability of forests of the Western Ghats Karnataka (WGK) landscape, which is a part of the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot in India. Four vulnerability indicators, namely biological richness, disturbance index, canopy cover, and slope, are selected. We find that forests in 30, 36, 19, and 15 % grid points in this region show low, medium, high, and very high inherent vulnerability, respectively. The forest showing high and very high inherent vulnerability are mostly dry deciduous forests and plantations located largely on the eastern side of the landscape. We also find that canopy cover is one of the key indicators that determine the inherent vulnerability of forests, and natural forests are inherently less vulnerable than man-made plantations. Spatial assessment of inherent vulnerability of forests at landscape level is particularly useful for developing strategies to build resilience to current stressors and climate change in future.     

Climate change implications for the nest site selection process and subsequent hatching success of a green turtle population

Sandy beach habitat where sea turtles nest will be affected by multiple climate change impacts. Before these impacts occur, knowledge of how nest site selection and hatching success vary with beach microhabitats is needed to inform managers on how to protect suitable habitats and prepare for scientifically valid mitigation measures at beaches around the world. At a highly successful green turtle (Chelonia mydas) rookery at Akumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico, we measured microhabitat characteristics along the beach crawl (rejected sites) and related nest site conditions (selected sites) to subsequent hatching success rates for 64 nesting events. To our knowledge, this is the first study to report environmental data along the nesting crawl for a green turtle population and the first to use natural breaks in the data to describe their preferred habitat ranges. Our results indicate that turtles were likely using a combination of cues to find nest sites, mainly higher elevations and lower sand surface temperatures (Kruskal-Wallis test, H?=?19.84, p?<?0.001; H?=?10.78, p?<?0.001). Hatching success was significantly and negatively correlated to sand temperature at cloaca depth (Spearman’s ρ?=??0.27, p?=?0.04). Indeed, the preferred range for cloaca sand temperatures at the nest site (26.3–27.5 °C) had significantly higher hatching success rates compared to the highest temperature range (Tukey HSD?=?0.47, p?=?0.05). Sand temperatures at various depths were intercorrelated, and surface and cloaca depth sand temperatures were correlated to air temperature (ρ?=?0.70, p?=?0.00; ρ?=?0.26, p?=?0.04). Therefore, rising air temperatures could alter sand temperature cues for suitable nest sites, preferred nest site ranges, and produce uneven sex ratios or lethal incubating temperatures. Elevation cues and preferred ranges (1.4–2.5 m) may also be affected by sea level rise, risking inundation of nests.     

Vulnerability of agro-ecological zones in India under the earth system climate model scenarios

India being a developing economy dependent on climate-sensitive sector like agriculture is highly vulnerable to impacts of global climate change. Vulnerability to climate change, however, differs spatially within the country owing to regional differences in exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. The study uses the Hadley Centre Global Environment Model version 2-Earth System (HadGEM-ES) climate projections to assess the dynamics in vulnerability across four climate change exposure scenarios developed using Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs). The analysis was carried out at subnational (district) level; the results were interpreted and reported for their corresponding agro-ecological zones. Vulnerability of each district was quantified using indicators capturing climatic variability, ecological and demographic sensitivity, and socio-economic capacity. Our analysis further assigns probabilities to vulnerability classes of all the 579 districts falling under different agro-ecological zones. The results of the vulnerability profile show that Western plains, Northern plains, and central highlands of the arid and semi-arid agro-ecological zones are the most vulnerable regions in the current scenario (1950–2000). In the future scenario (2050), it extends along districts falling within Deccan plateau and Central (Malwa) highlands, lying in the arid and semi-arid zones, along with regions vulnerable in the current scenario, recording the highest vulnerability score across all exposure scenarios. These regions exhibit highest degree of variation in climatic parameters, ecological fragility, socio-economic marginality, and limited accessibility to resources, generating conditions of high vulnerability. The study emphasizes on the priority to take up adaptive management actions in the identified vulnerable districts to not only reduce risks of climate change, but also enhance their inherent capacity to withstand any future changes in climate. It provides a systematic approach to explicitly identify vulnerable regions, where regional planners and policy makers can build on existing adaptation decision-making by utilizing an interdisciplinary approach in the context of global change scenario.