Use and abuse of Pb-isotope fingerprinting technique and GIS mapping data to assess lead in environmental studies

The danger to health, especially of young children, from lead-bearing particulates in the surface environment is still a valid concern. Given the multifaceted uses of lead today as well as historically, the sources of lead must be investigated to distinguish the etiology of lead contamination on the environment. The lead isotope finger printing technique based on isotopic ratio analyses (IRA) is one of the methods used commonly for provenancing lead sources in environmental studies throughout the world. This technique, however, has some inherited shortcomings. Therefore, caution must be used in the interpretation of the results, as this technique can lead to overestimations as well as underestimations of the true source etiology/apportionment of lead in specific environments. This paper illustrates this with some examples. Data on geographical information systems (GIS) mapping in urban regions are also presented in this paper.     

Addendum

Bags of S. auriculatum and a low‐volume aerosol sampler with filters were exposed, in parallel, to the urban atmosphere of Oporto at four sampling points and for about two months periods, between 1991 and 1994. The levels of lead in the moss (weekly samples) and in the filters (daily samples) were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry and the results were compared. In dry weather periods (relative humidity ≤ 76%) the rate of lead uptake by moss was approximately constant and proportional to the levels of the metal in atmospheric aerosols. A converting factor (CF = lPb_moss l (μg/g.day)/ l Pb_air l (μg/m³)) allowed conversion of the lead levels in S. auriculatum to those in the atmospheric aerosols. Because the moss fixed lead from gas, aerosol and particulated matter, the rate of sorption depends markedly on the distance to the lead sources (traffic) and on surrounding obstacles which retain particles. Therefore, specific calibration by mechanic monitoring at each point of sampling is required when moss bag samplers are used to provide quantitative information about lead levels in the atmosphere. In wet weather periods, higher but irregular rate of lead uptake was observed. In contrast, the lead levels in atmospheric aerosols decreased when the humidity increased due to wet deposition. Therefore, no proportionality between the lead levels in the moss and in the air were found.     

Comprehensive urban planning and management at multiple scales based on ecological principles: a case study in Beijing,China

SUMMARY

Rapid urbanisation and serious environmental problems have led people worldwide to realise the significance of urban planning and management towards a sustainable environment. Beijing was used as a case study to develop a framework and strategies for sustainable development using ecological principles. At the regional level, Beijing-Tianjin agglomeration and Hebei Province are considered together. At the Beijing administrative level, some important measures are put forward for revision of the Beijing Urban Master Plan. At the Beijing plain level, the future spatial structure of Beijing city and the relationship between settlements, green space and transportation are considered, and three basic development patterns are proposed. At the inner district level, the ecological corridor system is suggested, based on ecosystem services. At the selected area level, a comprehensive strategy and key measures for conservation and renewal of old Beijing city core are provided. Once strategies for Beijing urban development are implemented step-by-step, a vision for future development can be achieved. This paper provides considerations for improvement of urban planning and management in China and other countries.     

Characterizing the urban heat island in current and future climates in New Jersey

Climate change caused by increased anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and other greenhouse gases is a long-term climate hazard with the potential to alter the intensity, temporal pattern, and spatial extent of the urban heat island (UHI) in metropolitan regions. Particular meteorological conditions—including high temperature, low cloud cover, and low average wind speed—tend to intensify the heat island effect. Analyses of existing archived climate data for the vicinities of Newark and Camden, New Jersey indicate urban to suburban/rural temperature differences over the previous half-century. Surface temperatures derived from a Landsat thermal image for each site were also analyzed for spatial patterns of heat islands. Potential interactions between the UHI effect and projected changes in temperature, wind speed, and cloud cover are then examined under a range of climate change scenarios, encompassing different greenhouse gas emissions trajectories. The scenarios include those utilized in the Metropolitan East Coast Regional Assessment of Climate Variability and Change and the A2 and B2 scenarios of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (SRES).

The UHI effect was detected in Newark and Camden in both satellite surface-temperature and meteorological station airtemperature records. The average difference in urban—nonurban minimum temperatures was 3.0 °C for the Newark area and 1.5 °C for Camden. Extrapolation of current trends and the selected global climate models (GCMs) project that temperatures in the case study areas will continue to warm in the current century, as they have over the past half-century. An initial analysis of global climate scenarios shows that wind speed may decline, and that cloud cover may increase in the coming decades. These generally small countervailing tendencies suggest that urban—nonurban temperature differences may be maintained under climate change.

Overall warmer conditions throughout the year may extend the spatial and temporal dimensions of the urban-suburban heat complex. The incidence of heat-related morbidity and mortality are likely to increase with interactions between the increased frequency and duration of heat waves and the UHI effect. Camden and Newark will likely be subjected to higher temperatures, and areas experiencing UHI-like conditions and temperature extremes will expand. Thus, urban heat island-related hazard potential is likely to increase in a warmer climate.     

京津冀城市群建设用地扩张多情景模拟及其对生态系统碳储量的影响

量化分析建设用地扩张对陆地生态系统碳储量的影响,探索模拟建设用地扩张的优化方案以提高未来生态系统碳储量,对区域可持续发展和生态文明建设具有重要的现实意义.基于土地利用和地理空间数据,利用生态系统服务与权衡综合评估（InVEST）模型和基于栅格的斑块生成土地利用模拟（PLUS）模型,以2 km网格为基本单元,核算分析了京津冀城市群2000~2020年生态系统碳储量和格局演变,拟合回归了建设用地变化和碳储量变化两者关系,设置不同城市扩张发展情景对京津冀城市群2030年土地利用格局进行了模拟并分析了不同发展情景下2020~2030年建设用地扩张对碳储量的影响.结果表明：①京津冀城市群2000、2010和2020年生态系统碳储量（以C计）分别为2 088.02、2 106.78和2 121.25 Tg,其中林地碳库占比最大.研究期间碳储量减少的网格单元集中分布在北京、天津、石家庄和唐山等大城市周边,建设用地扩张的区域是碳储量变化最为剧烈的区域.②在建设用地占比10%以上的各等级网格单元区域,建设用地扩张和碳储量变化回归拟合关系良好,两者回归系数均呈现波动上升趋势.③在自然发展、建设用地扩张增速减少15%和建设用地扩张增速减少30%这3种发展情景下,2030年生态系统碳储量（以C计）分别为2 129.12、2 133.55和2 139.10 Tg.2020~2030年建设用地扩张和碳储量变化两者回归拟合效果均明显优于2000~2010年和2010~2020年,回归系数随着建设用地占比等级的增加均呈现波动增加的趋势.在各建设用地占比等级区域,回归系数值均呈现：自然发展情景<建设用地扩张增速减少15%发展情景<建设用地扩张增速减少30%发展情景.在“双碳”目标下,京津冀城市群应优先选择建设用地扩张增速降低发展情景,对建设用地的扩张应优先控制在建设用地占比较高的区域.     

Impact of Disturbance on Waterfowl Wintering in a UK Dockland Redevelopment Area

One of the UK's largest flocks of pochard Aythya ferina and tufted duck A. fuligula winters in Manchester's busy dockland redevelopment area. I examined the effects of human disturbance on the population, and used this information to recommend minimal land-use restrictions that will help ensure the population's continued use of the site. Birds fed at the docks every night, but on 75% of days, the flock flew to suburban or rural refuges in response to disturbance. The common causes of disturbance, particularly pedestrians, did not affect the duck greatly, but disturbances associated with building and redevelopment of the site (e.g., machinery) often made duck evacuate the dock. While birds were no less likely to evacuate the docks as the winter progressed, they did show some short-term flexibility in their responses to disturbance. For example, birds appeared able to sit out disturbances throughout the afternoon if they had avoided evacuation of the docks during the morning. Birds spent only a small proportion of time feeding, and feeding activity was not heightened following periods of exclusion from the docks due to disturbance. Daytime feeding activity was elevated during periods of lowering temperatures, and despite heavy disturbance at the site, the impact of disturbance may only be significant during the coldest period of the winter. During very cold spells, it is important to limit the incidence of unusual disturbances, such as evening concerts and waterborne activities which tend to make duck evacuate the site.     

城市生活垃圾焚烧处理初探

对我国城市生活垃圾焚烧处理的可行性进行了初步探讨,并对目前国内城市生活垃圾焚烧处理技术的现状及关键问题进行了分析和 评述。      

垃圾填埋场渗滤液回流技术的研究

垃圾填埋场产生大量渗滤液,而一般渗滤液中含有很高浓度的有机物,特别是填埋场的初滤水COD_cr浓度可高达8×104mg/L,BOD₅浓度可高达5×104mg/L。因此,渗滤液必须得到处理。渗滤液回流可以利用垃圾填埋层中大量繁殖的微生物分解其中的有机物,使渗滤液得 到净化;同时利用回流控制填埋层含水量,加快有机物分解,提高沼气产生量。通过实验初步得出:渗滤液回流可以将渗滤液中有机物浓度大 大降低,COD_cr去除率最高可以达到95%以上,在半好氧状态下NH₃-N浓度可以降到10mg/L以下;沼气产生速率大大高于未回流的填埋层;同时填埋层渗滤液中有机物浓度大大降低。      

广州市城市垃圾终处理的现状及发展策略

结合广州市自然地理,社会经济条件,概括总结了广州市垃圾产出特点及垃圾终处理的发展阶段,重点分析了现有垃圾填埋场存在的问题及产生原因。在此基础上,提出了广州市垃圾终处理要“四个坚持”的发展策略。      

A formal model for consensus and negotiation in environmental management

Environmental management decisions typically lie at the interface of science and public policy. Consequently, these decisions involve a number of stakeholders with competing agendas and vested interests in the ultimate decision. In such cases, it is appropriate to adopt formal methods for consensus building to ensure transparent and repeatable decisions. In this paper, we use an environmental management case study to demonstrate the utility of a mathematical consensus convergence model in aggregating values (or weights) across groups. Consensus models are applicable when all parties agree to negotiate in order to resolve conflict. The advantage of this method is that it does not require that all members of the group reach agreement, often an impossible task in group decision making. Instead, it uses philosophical foundations in consensus building to aggregate group members' values in a way that guarantees convergence towards a single consensual value that summarizes the group position. We highlight current problems with ad hoc consensus and negotiation methods, provide justification for the adoption of formal consensus convergence models and compare the consensus convergence model with currently used methods for aggregating values across a group in a decision making context. The model provides a simple and transparent decision support tool for group decision making that is straightforward to implement.