Ecosystem services in coupled social–ecological systems: Closing the cycle of service provision and societal feedback

Both the ‘cascade model’ of ecosystem service provision and the Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response framework individually contribute to the understanding of human–nature interactions in social–ecological systems (SES). Yet, as several points of criticism show, they are limited analytical tools when it comes to reproducing complex cause–effect relationships in such systems. However, in this paper, we point out that by merging the two models, they can mutually enhance their comprehensiveness and overcome their individual conceptual deficits. Therefore we closed a cycle of ecosystem service provision and societal feedback by rethinking and reassembling the core elements of both models. That way, we established a causal sequence apt to describe the causes of change to SES, their effects and their consequences. Finally, to illustrate its functioning we exemplified and discussed our approach based on a case study conducted in the Alpujarra de la Sierra in southern Spain.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s13280-015-0651-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Evaluating anthropogenic N inputs to diverse lake basins: A case study of three Chinese lakes

The environmental degradation of lakes in China has become increasingly serious over the last 30 years and eutrophication resulting from enhanced nutrient inputs is considered a top threat. In this study, a quasi-mass balance method, net anthropogenic N inputs (NANI), was introduced to assess the human influence on N input into three typical Chinese lake basins. The resultant NANI exceeded 10 000 kg N km⁻² year⁻¹ for all three basins, and mineral fertilizers were generally the largest sources. However, rapid urbanization and shrinking agricultural production capability may significantly increase N inputs from food and feed imports. Higher percentages of NANI were observed to be exported at urban river outlets, suggesting the acceleration of NANI transfer to rivers by urbanization. Over the last decade, the N inputs have declined in the basins dominated by the fertilizer use but have increased in the basins dominated by the food and feed import. In the foreseeable future, urban areas may arise as new hotspots for nitrogen in China while fertilizer use may decline in importance in areas of high population density.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s13280-015-0638-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

北京市“十三五”大气污染物排放总量控制基本思路探讨

随着各项环保措施的深入实施,北京市大气环境质量进一步改善的难度逐渐加大。对北京市"十二五"时期的大气污染物排放总量控制工作进行了经验总结,并分析了"十三五"时期大气污染物的排放形势和减排压力。在此基础上,从6个方面提出了北京市"十三五"期间大气污染物排放总量控制的基本思路。     

城市生活垃圾处理方式生命周期评价的比较研究

生命周期评价理论与方法作为一种量化环境影响的工具,在诸多领域中得到了广泛的应用。在垃圾处理领域,生命周期评价最早在20世纪90年代得到应用。生命周期评价与城市生活垃圾处理的有效结合,将促进城市生活垃圾的减量化、资源化、无害化目标的实现。总结了生命周期评价理论与方法在城市生活垃圾处理中的应用现状。对国内不同城市生活垃圾处理方式环境影响因子进行比较分析,诸如全球变暖潜力、酸化潜力和富营养化潜力等因子。针对其目标范围定义、数据收集、评价方法的选择、结果解释及工艺改进等方面指出了目前研究的局限性和不足。并对未来城市生活垃圾处理生命周期评价的发展方向进行展望。     

餐厨垃圾高温厌氧消化产沼气的试验研究

探究了温度、含固率、pH及接种率对餐厨垃圾厌氧消化产沼量的影响,并设计L9(34)正交试验进行厌氧发酵工艺优化研究。结果表明,在温度为55℃、含固率为8%(质量分数)、pH为7.00、接种率为90%(质量分数)时,厌氧发酵累积产沼量为809.0mL/g(以挥发性固体计);各影响因素对产沼量的影响大小为温度pH接种率含固率。     

Comprehensive Environmental Investigation at Former Industrial/Petroleum Underground Storage Tank Sites in Long Beach,CA: A Forensic Perspective

Two industrial sites were investigated based on years of available hydrogeologic information and monitoring data for soil and groundwater. Collected data were forensically evaluated using age-dating and fingerprinting methods. The previous business uses of the project sites were as a gas station, laundry/dry-cleaning service, and car wash with petroleum underground storage tanks (USTs). As a result, these sites were exposed to a number of toxic contaminants at relatively high concentrations. Source control was necessary for successful remediation and the ultimate removal of the remaining compounds from these industrial sites. Although contaminated soil around the source was excavated during the remedial action and the high concentrations of contaminants were reduced, typical groundwater contaminants such as petroleum hydrocarbons as gasoline (TPH-G), benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes (BTEX), and oxygenates including methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), diisopropyl ether (DIPE), ethyl tert-butyl ether (ETBE), tert-amyl methyl ether (TAME), and tert-butyl alcohol (TBA) were persistently found at the studied sites around the source points. The plume and concentration of contaminants had changed their shapes and strength for all monitoring periods. Thus, additional source control seems to be a requirement for the complete removal of source contamination, which must be ascertained with groundwater and soil monitoring on a regular time base. For the study sites, monitored natural attenuation was relatively feasible for the long-term plan; however, it did not offer a perfect remediation solution for an ultimate goal because of residual toxic compounds that might have affected the surrounding residential areas at higher concentrations than their health limits. Therefore, as a remediation strategy, the combination of clean-up technology and natural attenuation with monitoring activities are more highly recommended than either clean-up or natural attenuation used separately.     

Geogenic Distribution of Arsenic (As) and Antimony (Sb) in Soils of the Murcia Region in Spain

The objective of this study was to determine the As and Sb contents in soils from the Murcia Region of Spain and the possible relationship between the mineralogical composition, soil properties, and As and Sb concentrations. In this study, 490 samples were selected from areas with different characteristics in order to study As and Sb variability. Results show that As and Sb concentrations are positively correlated with the phyllosilicate and quartz content but negatively correlated with the calcite content. The generic reference level (GRL) for these elements was determined according to the Spanish legislation. Established GRL values vary according to the established mineralogical groups, suggesting that GRL has to be determined considering the lithological characteristics of the study area.     

Risk Assessment of 26 Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) Compounds in Parkıng Garages

The aim of this study was to determine the level of 26 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) at parking garages and to provide the necessary annual information based on occupational inhalation exposure and non-occupational inhalation exposure, which carry risks for the environment. For this purpose, 22 samples were collected continuously from both gas and particulates phase PAHs from two parking garages at Konya City Center, Turkey. The exposure-based risk of these samples was evaluated using concentrations of the carcinogenic PAH compounds. None of the 26 PAHs measured had values exceeding the recommended exposure limits (RELs) standard values for inhalation rate recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). Exposure levels of gas and particulate PAHs for the occupational group and the public (children and adults who spend time in shopping centers) were found to be 0.07–28.24 μgm^?3 and 0.05–5.753 μgm^?3, respectively, representing levels two to four times higher than those at the control site. Maximum daily inhalation of B[a]Py was estimated at 1.33 ngd^?1 for exposure of the public and as 274 ngd^?1 for the occupational group. It is believed that traffic makes a substantial contribution to the PAH profile, which had relatively high concentrations of naphthalene (Napth) and coronene (Coro). Highly carcinogenic dibenzo(a,l)pyrene (B[al]Pyre) was found in the ambient air at two parking garages. Napth and phenanthrene (Phen) were the main compounds found in nearly all the tested samples. In this study, benzo[e]pyrene (B[e]Py) was used as a reference for PAHs because its concentration is stable and does not change seasonally. Considering the importance of these compounds in relation to human health, the aim of this work was to characterize and quantify the more toxic PAHs in parking garages. Conducting PAH sampling and their chemical analysis is very costly and labor intensive. This study produced data that can be a powerful tool for environmental forensics.     

腐殖酸修饰凹凸棒对U(Ⅵ)的吸附性能及机理

采用腐殖酸(HA)修饰凹凸棒(ATP)制备得到腐殖酸/凹凸棒(HA/ATP),用于去除废水中的U(Ⅵ).通过静态吸附实验,研究了溶液初始pH、投加量、吸附时间和初始浓度对吸附的影响,并用扫描电镜(SEM),X射线能谱图(EDS),傅里叶红外光谱仪(FITR)分析吸附机理.实验结果表明,去除率随时间的增大而增大,在120 min内可以达到平衡;吸附剂投加量越大,溶液pH =6左右时越有利于U(Ⅵ)的去除;HA/ATP能多次重复使用,且经过5次吸附解吸后对U(Ⅵ)的去除率仍能达到96％.吸附过程均符合Langmuir和Frendlich等温方程.较之准一级动力学,准二级动力学模型能更好地拟合实验数据.SEM-EDS、FITR分析结果表明,U(Ⅵ)被成功地吸附到了HA/ATP的表面,吸附机理为络合作用.     

逆转录-聚合酶链反应(RT-PCR)技术同时检测水中多种肠道病毒

建立了一种利用通用引物RT-PCR技术检测水中肠道病毒的方法.利用脊髓灰质炎病毒1～3型,柯萨奇病毒B3型作为参考病毒株,根据肠道病毒RNA5′非编码区中具有高度同源性的序列来设计通用引物.比较了M-MLV酶和AMV酶的逆转录效果,AMV酶能够成功地从地表水和生活污水中逆转录病毒RNA,更适于实际应用.对比研究了PCR过程中的退火温度,c(Mg2＋)等因素对RT-PCR检测结果的影响,选择退火温度55　℃,c(Mg2＋)为2　mmol/L的反应条件,优化了RT-PCR检测方法.通过检测水样中接种的连续稀释的病毒,确定了该检测方法的灵敏度为38　CCID₅₀.考察人工污染的地表水、污水、二级处理出水样品发现,检测灵敏度基本一致.该方法可应用在实际环境的肠道病毒检测中.