Shaping more resilient and just food systems: Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted weaknesses in global food systems, as well as opening windows of opportunity for innovation and transformation. While the nature and extent of this crisis is rare, extreme climatic events will increase in magnitude and frequency, threatening similar societal impacts. It is therefore critical to identify mechanisms for developing food systems that are resilient to such impacts. We examine impacts of the crisis on UK food systems and how these further entrenched social inequalities. We present data on the experiences and actions of producers, consumers, and community organisers. The data were collected by adapting ongoing research to include surveys, interviews and online workshops focused on the pandemic. Actors’ responses to the pandemic foreshadow how enduring change to food systems can be achieved. We identify support required to enable these transformations and argue that it is vital that these opportunities are embedded in food justice principles which promote people-centred approaches to avoid exacerbating injustices prevalent pre-crisis. Learning from these experiences therefore provides insights for how to make food systems elsewhere more resilient and just.     

COVID-19管控期间气象条件变化对京津冀PM2.5浓度影响

2020年初新冠肺炎疫情（COVID-19）暴发后,中国多地实施了严格的管控措施,导致污染物排放量明显下降.但在减排实施的情况下,京津冀PM_2.5等污染物浓度较过去5 a同期却明显增长,出现了两次PM_2.5重度污染事件.利用欧洲中心ERA5再分析资料分析发现,相对于过去5 a, COVID-19管控期间京津冀地区的气象场表现为偏高的相对湿度、偏低的边界层高度和边界层内异常的辐合上升运动,有利于颗粒物的吸湿增长和二次转化,不利于污染物垂直方向上的扩散.此外,利用WRF-Chem模式开展敏感性试验发现,在京津冀中部地区气象场的变化导致2020年管控期间ρ(PM_2.5)升高了20～55μg·m^-3,升高比例高达60%～170%.进一步利用过程诊断分析法得出,增强的气溶胶化学过程和不利的湍流扩散条件是2020年COVID-19管控期间PM_2.5浓度升高的主要原因.在当今减排的大背景下,边界层高度和相对湿度的变化可能成为预报预测京津冀地区PM_2.5污染事件的重要指标...     

COVID-19管控期间苏州市PM2.5中金属元素浓度变化及来源解析

为了解COVID-19管控期间苏州市PM_2.5中金属元素浓度变化和来源,利用多金属在线监测仪于2019年12月1日～2020年3月31日测定了14种金属元素小时浓度,分析停产前、停产期和复工期金属元素浓度变化,并采用PMF模型分析其污染来源.结果表明,停产期Cr、 Mn、 Zn和Fe浓度降幅最大,较停产前分别降低了87.6%、 85.6%、 78.3%和72.2%;复工期Mn、 Cr、 Zn和Fe浓度升幅最大,较停产期分别增加了227.0%、 215.4%、 147.4%和113.4%.K在3个阶段日变化均不相同;Zn在3个阶段日变化均呈单峰形,但峰宽和峰值出现时间有所不同;Fe、 Mn、 Pb、 Se和Hg日变化无明显变化,仅仅是浓度发生了变化;Ca、 Ba、 Cu、 As、 Cr和Ni停产期和复工期日变化较停产前变化较大. PMF模型来源解析结果表明,金属元素主要来源于扬尘、机动车、燃煤、工业冶炼和混合燃烧源,其中工业冶炼源浓度变化最大,停产期浓度下降了89.0%,复工期浓度较停产期上升了358.0%.     

河南省春节和疫情影响情景下PM2.5组分特征

2020年1月我国爆发了新型冠状病毒疫情,期间我国各地区大气污染源排放特征发生了显著改变.为研究该情景下PM_2.5组分特征,本研究于2020年1月1日~2月13日利用在线观测仪器对郑州、安阳和新乡市进行连续观测.根据春节假期和疫情爆发,将研究时期分为春节前（1月1~23日）、春节疫情期（1月24~31日）和节后疫情期（2月1~13日）.受疫情和有利的气象条件影响,节后疫情期间郑州、安阳和新乡市除O₃外其它污染物浓度较春节前均明显下降,其中NO₂和PM_2.5的降幅分别为65%、52%、72%和51%、55%、54%,但是污染物浓度仍较高,表明未来河南省冬季大气污染的较大幅度改善面临巨大挑战.从颗粒物组分来看,二次无机盐和有机物是观测期间PM_2.5的主要组分.春节疫情期3个城市受烟花爆竹的影响较小,并且硝酸根和扬尘的贡献相比春节前轻微下降.节后疫情期间郑州、安阳和新乡市PM_2.5中硝酸根浓度和占比显著下降,占比降幅为10.6%、4.1%和4%;硫酸根和有机物的占比上升,其中二次有机碳的贡献增大.以郑州市为例分析硝酸盐生成,相比春节前,节后疫情期间不同污染时段硝酸根的占比均下降,但硝酸根仍是污染时段PM_2.5中占比最高的组分.日变化特征表明节后疫情期间大气中O₃浓度和湿度的增高可能促进了NO₂的转化,因此下一步应采取PM_2.5和O₃的协同管控,重视NO₂和VOCs的协同减排.     

重大安全风险事件特征再认识——以新冠肺炎疫情为例

本文系统回顾了新冠肺炎疫情的发生、传播、爆发,以及下一步发展等问题的客观现状,在此基础上深入探讨了重大安全风险事件的形态新颖性、发生意外性、发展爆炸性、演变复杂性等特征。结合对特征的认识,本文给出了针对重大安全风险事件治理者在防灾、备灾、抗灾、救灾方面的启示与建议。     

阳离子表面活性剂十六烷基三甲基溴化铵（CTAB）对磷钨酸(PW12)光催化还原降解偶氮染料直接耐晒黑G的影响

以磷钨酸H3PW12O4（PW12）为光催化剂,异丙醇（IS）作为电子给体,研究阳离子表面活性剂十六烷基三甲基溴化铵（CTAB）对PW12光催化还原降解直接耐晒黑G（DB19）的影响.考察了CTAB浓度、pH值、DB19初始浓度等因素对反应的影响,并采用一级反应动力学对反应过程进行分析.结果表明CTAB增强了PW12对直接耐晒黑G的还原脱色作用,CTAB浓度增加,DB19的光催化脱色速率提高.PW12用量对DB19还原脱色的影响程度和趋势与溶液中CTAB浓度有关,当CTAB浓度为0.10 mmol.L-1时,DB19的脱色速率随PW12用量的增加而增加;CTAB浓度为0.05 mmol.L-1,PW12用量为200 mg.L-1时DB19的脱色速率最快,继续增加反而降低.DB19还原脱色速率随其初始浓度升高而降低.另外,通过循环伏安法和暗反应明确还原态杂多蓝对染料的还原脱色作用,并借助UV-Vis光谱研究DB19、PW12、CTAB之间的相互作用,探索CTAB对PW12/IS光催化还原降解DB19的作用机理.该研究结果表明阳离子表面活性剂CTAB能够增强偶氮染料废水的PW12催化还原脱色处理.     

COVID-19疫情期间京津冀大气污染物变化及影响因素分析

为了应对COVID-19疫情,京津冀地区采取了一系列严格的管控措施,这些措施导致了大气污染物人为源排量的减少,为探究大气污染受人类活动的影响程度提供了时机.将疫情防控分为前期、初期、中期和后期这4个阶段,并结合气象、交通量和工业数据,综合运用数理统计和空间分析方法,得出各时间段大气污染物的变化情况及影响因素,为京津冀地区进一步治理大气污染提出了合理化建议.结果表明：①京津冀三地在疫情防控期总体的AQI值和6项污染物同比2019年均有下降,其中SO₂、PM₁₀和NO₂的降幅较大（分别为26.5%、24.3%和16.9%）;由初期到后期,各污染物（除O₃）总体处于下降趋势;O₃在初期增幅大（76.2%）,中后期增幅放缓.②防控初期北京市的重污染天气是污染物本地积累、二次转化和区域传输共同作用的结果;北京2月份的PM_2.5浓度同比相似气象条件下的2014年2月偏低近6成;若仅考虑人为减排的影响,则各污染物浓度同比2019年均有下降.③防控中后期,随着交通量和工业复工率进一步扩大,各污染物变化趋于平稳或有微升;重工业城市的热异常辐射强度与主要污染物的灰色关联度大于0.6,即控制工业排量仍是治理大气污染的关键.     

双酚AF对雄性斑马鱼卵黄蛋白原水平与芳香化酶基因表达的影响

双酚AF(4,4'-六氟-2-二酚,BPAF)对生物有机体具有内分泌干扰作用。为研究低剂量BPAF对水生生物的效应,本研究选择成年雄性斑马鱼为研究对象,考察了0.005、0.05和0.5 mg·L~(-1)3种浓度BAPF暴露30 d对血浆中卵黄蛋白原(VTG)含量、2种卵黄蛋白原基因(vtg~(-1)和vtg-3)表达和2种芳香酶基因(cyp 19a与cyp 19b)表达的影响。结果表明:在0.005 mg·L~(-1)浓度暴露30 d后,血浆中VTG含量显著升高,随着暴露浓度的升高,促进作用不显著;BPAF暴露对不同组织中的4种基因存在不同的影响,0.005 mg·L~(-1)BPAF暴露可诱导脑部cyp19b、肝脏中cyp19a和性腺中vtg~(-1)、vtg-3和cyp19b基因表达;0.5 mg·L~(-1)BPAF暴露可导致肝脏中vtg~(-1)、vtg-3、性腺中cyp19a等基因显著上调。实验结果表明,BPAF具有雌性激素样效应,可诱导雄性斑马鱼体内部分组织卵黄蛋白原基因和芳香酶基因的表达。BPAF可引起斑马鱼血浆中的VTG含量的上升,从而干扰由VTG所参与的下丘脑-垂体-性腺轴与免疫系统的正常生理过程。     

Evaluating the efficacy of alumina/carbon nanotube hybrid adsorbents in removing Azo Reactive Red 198 and Blue 19 dyes from aqueous solutions

Concerning the high volume of wastewater containing dye in Iran and its adverse effects, it is necessary to develop scientific solutions for treating these wastewaters. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of the alumina-coated multi-walled carbon nanotubes in removing the Reactive Red 198 (RR 198) and Blue 19 (RB 19) dyes. Synthetic samples including dye with different concentrations were prepared. These samples were put in contact with different contents of alumina/multi-walled carbon nanotubes, in different pH values, in different contact times, different temperatures and the presence of sodium sulfate or sodium carbonate. The optimum pH, dye concentration and temperature for removal of the two dyes was 3, 50 mg l⁻¹ and 25 °C, respectively. The optimum adsorbent dose for removal the RR 198 dye was 0.5 g l⁻¹ and for Blue 19 was 0.4 g l⁻¹. The optimum contact time for RR 198 was 150 min and RB 19 was 180 min. In this condition, maximum removal efficiency for RR 198 and RB 19 was 91.54% and 93.51%, respectively. The adsorption study was analyzed kinetically, and the results revealed that the adsorption fitted a pseudo-second order kinetic model. According to these results alumina/multi-walled carbon nanotubes can effectively remove RR 198 and RB 19 from aqueous solutions.     

Removal of virus aerosols by the combination of filtration and UV-C irradiation

● The removal of virus aerosols by filtration and UV-C irradiation was proposed. ● The filtration efficiency for virus aerosols was affected by the filtration rate. ● The inactivation rate by UV-C was not linear with irradiation intensity or time. ● The virus trapped by filter material had a shielding effect on UV-C irradiation. The COVID-19 pandemic remains ever prevalent and afflicting—partially because one of its transmission pathways is aerosol. With the widely used central air conditioning systems worldwide, indoor virus aerosols can rapidly migrate, thus resulting in rapid infection transmission. It is therefore important to install microbial aerosol treatment units in the air conditioning systems, and we herein investigated the possibility of combining such filtration with UV irradiation to address virus aerosols. Results showed that the removal efficiency of filtration towards f2 and MS2 phages depended on the type of commercial filter material and the filtration speed, with an optimal velocity of 5 cm/s for virus removal. Additionally, it was found that UV irradiation had a significant effect on inactivating viruses enriched on the surfaces of filter materials; MS2 phages had greater resistance to UV-C irradiation than f2 phages. The optimal inactivation time for UV-C irradiation was 30 min, with higher irradiation times presenting no substantial increase in inactivation rate. Moreover, excessive virus enrichment on the filters decreased the inactivation effect. Timely inactivation is therefore recommended. In general, the combined system involving filtration with UV-C irradiation demonstrated a significant removal effect on virus aerosols. Moreover, the system is simple and economical, making it convenient for widespread implementation in air-conditioning systems.