Recycling glass-polishing sludge and aluminum anodising sludge in polyurethane and cement composites: fire performance and mechanical properties

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - This article aims to study the mechanical strength and fire resistance of polyurethane/cement (PuCem) composites containing glass sludge and sludge...     

高效液相色谱-串联质谱法测定海水中孔雀石绿及其代谢物

建立了海水中孔雀石绿及其代谢物的高效液相色谱-串联质谱检测方法,取500 mL海水样品,以二氯甲烷萃取,旋转蒸发浓缩后,以甲醇定溶,经0.45μm滤膜过滤后,应用高效液相色谱-串联质谱测定海水中孔雀石绿及其代谢物残留量.本方法MG和LMG线性范围为0.5～100μg/L,相关系数为0.9978和0.9970,仪器检出限为0.2μg/L,定量限为0.5μg/L,MG回收率为74.0%～95.0%,LMG回收率72.0～91.5%.该方法灵敏度高、准确性好,适用于海水中痕量孔雀石绿及其代谢物的检测.     

A new approach to assessment and management of the impact from medical liquid radioactive waste

The Swedish regulations concerning disposal of clinical radioactive waste are currently under revision and a graded approach is proposed for risk limitation purposes. To assist the revision procedures, a screening study was performed to estimate public exposures from liquid releases from hospitals to public sewers. The results showed that doses to sewage workers were above the dose constraint of 100muSva(-1) especially for (131)I and (99m)Tc. Hence, a dynamic model, LUCIA, was developed for realistic assessments in which radionuclide transportation in sewers was modelled. Probabilistic simulations were performed to obtain probability distributions of radionuclide concentrations in sludge. Concurrently, estimates of the effective doses to sewage workers decreased significantly and were below 10muSva(-1) except for (111)In and (131)I. However, the Kd-coefficients representing the partition of radioactivity between water and sludge in sewers are highly uncertain for (111)In. As shown by sensitivity studies, these values are the major determinant of the exposures in sewers.     

Amplifying the benefits of agroecology by using the right cultivars

Tropical soils are particularly vulnerable to fertility losses due to their low capacity to retain organic matter and mineral nutrients. This urges the development of new agricultural practices to manage mineral nutrients and organic matter in a more sustainable way while relying less on fertilizer inputs. Two methods pertaining to ecological engineering and agroecology have been tested with some success: (1) the addition of biochar to the soil, and (2) the maintenance of higher earthworm densities. However, modern crop varieties have been selected to be adapted to agricultural practices and to the soil conditions they lead to and common cultivars might not be adapted to new practices. Using rice as a model plant, we compared the responsiveness to biochar and earthworms of five rice cultivars with contrasted selection histories. These cultivars had contrasted responsivenesses to earthworms, biochar, and the combination of both. The mean relative increase in grain biomass, among all treatments and cultivars, was 94% and 32%, respectively, with and without fertilization. Choosing the best combination of cultivar and treatment led to a more than fourfold increase in this mean benefit (a 437% and a 353% relative increase in grain biomass, respectively, with and without fertilization). Besides, the more rustic cultivar, a local landrace adapted to diverse and difficult conditions, responded the best to earthworms in terms of total biomass, while a modern common cultivar responded the best in term of grain biomass. This suggests that cultivars could be selected to amplify the benefit of biochar- and earthworm-based practices. Overall, selecting new cultivars interacting more closely with soil organisms and soil heterogeneity could increase agriculture sustainability, fostering the positive feedback loop between soils and plants that has evolved in natural ecosystems.     

水产养殖环境中抗生素抗性基因的研究进展

为摸清我国水产养殖环境抗生素抗性基因（Antibiotic resistance genes,ARGs）污染状况,统计了当前水产养殖环境水、沉积物和养殖对象中七大类抗性基因的赋存状况,进一步分析了影响其赋存的因素,对未来我国水产养殖ARGs污染研究进行了展望.水产养殖环境中ARGs主要以iDNA形式存在;磺胺类和四环素类抗性基因的丰度和检出率较高,被认为是水产养殖环境主要的ARGs,已受到当前研究的广泛关注;而喹诺酮类、氯霉素类、β-内酰胺类、大环内酯类和氨基糖苷类抗性基因报道的丰度和检出率相对较低.养殖过程中,养殖用药、饲料及养殖模式是影响水产养殖环境ARGs赋存的主要因素,但环境理化因子调节养殖环境ARGs的作用也不容忽视.     

NUTRIENT LOAD CHARACTERIZATION FROM INTEGRATED SOURCE DATA FOR THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI RWER1

ABSTRACT: Nutrient data from all available sources for the lower Mississippi River were examined for potential differences among sampling agencies and geographic locations for the period between 1960 and 1998. Monthly means grouped by parameter, sampling location and agency, were calculated and compared as paired sets, excluding those months where data were not available for both sets. Some significant differences were found between various agencies collecting nutrient data on the river, as well as between various stretches of river, especially in the case of phosphorus nutrient data. Results were used to synthesize data sets from which a history of nutrient loading in the Mississippi River was determined. General trends in nitrate+nitrite, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, orthophosphate, total phosphorus and silica loads, as well as changes in nutrient proportions and the specific limiting nutrient (by month) are reported. This study provides a useful summary of contemporary and historical nutrient data that may assist in the evaluation of Mississippi River water quality and its potential effect on the Gulf of Mexico.     

Global burned-land estimation in Latin America using MODIS composite data.

This paper presents results of the AQL2004 project, which has been develope within the GOFC-GOLD Latin American network of remote sensing and forest fires (RedLatif). The project intended to obtain monthly burned-land maps of the entire region, from Mexico to Patagonia, using MODIS (moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer) reflectance data. The project has been organized in three different phases: acquisition and preprocessing of satellite data; discrimination of burned pixels; and validation of results. In the first phase, input data consisting of 32-day composites of MODIS 500-m reflectance data generated by the Global Land Cover Facility (GLCF) of the University of Maryland (College Park, Maryland, U.S.A.) were collected and processed. The discrimination of burned areas was addressed in two steps: searching for "burned core" pixels using postfire spectral indices and multitemporal change detection and mapping of burned scars using contextual techniques. The validation phase was based on visual analysis of Landsat and CBERS (China-Brazil Earth Resources Satellite) images. Validation of the burned-land category showed an agreement ranging from 30% to 60%, depending on the ecosystem and vegetation species present. The total burned area for the entire year was estimated to be 153 215 km2. The most affected countries in relation to their territory were Cuba, Colombia, Bolivia, and Venezuela. Burned areas were found in most land covers; herbaceous vegetation (savannas and grasslands) presented the highest proportions of burned area, while perennial forest had the lowest proportions. The importance of croplands in the total burned area should be taken with reserve, since this cover presented the highest commission errors. The importance of generating systematic products of burned land areas for different ecological processes is emphasized.     

煤尘润湿接触角的BP神经网络估算方法研究

通过采集和测定35个矿区煤样品的化学组成、结构参数和润湿接触角,构建了以13个影响因子为输入参数和以接触角为输出目标的3层BP人工神经网络,并利用该模型估算煤尘润湿接触角。结果表明,隐含层节点数为19时,接触角估算值与实测值的决定系数R2=0.957,平均相对误差为4.59%,表明基于BP神经网络建立的煤尘润湿接触角估算模型具有很高的精度。     

Assessing biodiversity vulnerability to climate change: testing different methodologies for Portuguese herpetofauna

Assessing biodiversity vulnerability to future climate change is essential for developing robust adaptation strategies. A number of vulnerability assessment methodologies have been developed, from bioclimatic envelop models to more complex approaches that also consider biological traits and population status. However, the lack of comparative studies leaves the user to choose among the different methodologies without much guidance. This study applied three vulnerability assessment approaches to the Portuguese herpetofauna: (I) impact assessment approach based on bioclimatic models; (II) integrated vulnerability assessment approach, adding the evaluation of adaptive capacity to approach I; and (III) integrated vulnerability assessment and validation based on expert consultation. Results showed disagreement between the different approaches for 19 % of the species studied. Most differences were found between approach III and the two other approaches. All approaches showed advantages and limitations, the choice of a methodology being ultimately dependent on the study goals. Approach I has proven efficient to capture general vulnerability patterns. Approach II, although presenting results similar to approach I, allows for the identification of key factors affecting the species adaptive capacity and may be useful in tailoring adaptation measures. Approach III further allows us to identify knowledge gaps and to evaluate vulnerability when data availability or quality is reduced. Further, because this approach is based on an expert workshop, it has proven a perfect means to build on the vulnerability assessment results to identify indicator species and prioritize specific adaptation options.