Environmental pollution,hydropower and nuclear energy generation before and after catastrophe: Bathtub-Weibull curve and MS-VECM methods

In this paper, the life span of hydro and nuclear energy generations and the relationship between hydro and nuclear energy generations, environmental pollution, and economic growth were investigated for Japan covering the period of 1960–2018 by employing the Bathtub-Weibull curve and Markov switching-vector error correcting (MSVEC) method, respectively. According to the Bathtub-Weibull curve analysis, a rising failure rate for nuclear energy was found, indicating that the life of nuclear energy has expired, but a decreasing failure rate for hydroelectric energy has been detected. Then two different MSVEC models were used. The MSVEC method, unlike traditional approaches, determines the relationship between variables under different regimes. The results of MSVEC methods indicate three important points. First, regime-dependent asymmetry and regime changes are crucial for policy recommendations. Second, the shocks to hydropower and nuclear energy generations cause temporary deviations from the long-run growth path in both regimes. Lastly, the increase in hydropower generation leads to a decrease in environmental pollution and an increase in GDP, and an increase in nuclear power generation increases pollution and growth in both regimes.     

Effect of Cadmium on Microbial Activity and a Ryegrass Crop in Two Semiarid Soils

Soil pollution with Cd is an environmental problem common in the world, and it is necessary to establish what Cd concentrations in soil could be dangerous to its fertility from toxicity effects and the risk of transference of this element to plants and other organisms of the food chain. In this study, we assessed Cd toxicity on soil microorganisms and plants in two semiarid soils (uncultivated and cultivated). Soil ATP content, dehydrogenase activity, and plant growth were measured in the two soils spiked with concentrations ranging from 3 to 8000 mg Cd/kg soil and incubated for 3 h, 20 days, and 60 days. The Cd concentrations that produced 5%; 10%;, and 50%; inhibition of each of the two soil microbiological parameter studied (ecological dose, ED, values) were calculated using two different mathematical models. Also, the effect of Cd concentration on plant growth of ryegrass (Lolium perenne, L.) was studied in the two soils. The Cd ED values calculated for soil dehydrogenase activity and ATP content were higher in the agricultural soils than in the bare soil. For ATP inhibition, higher ED values were calculated than for dehydrogenase activity inhibition. The average yields of ryegrass were reduced from 5.03 to 3.56 g in abandoned soil and from 4.21 to 1.15 g in agricultural soil with increasing concentrations of Cd in the soil. Plant growth was totally inhibited in abandoned and agricultural soils at Cd concentrations above 2000 and 5000 mg/kg soil, respectively. There was a positive correlation between the concentration of Cd in the plants and the total or DTPA-extractable concentrations of Cd in the soil.     

Climate engineering and human rights

ABSTRACT

In this Forum, three scholars discuss how climate engineering will pose novel human rights challenges, and may well force reconsideration of how human rights are applied as a guide to action. Following a short introduction, the first section introduces three competing approaches to human rights, arguing views which emphasize fairness or attempt to maximize satisfaction are more promising than one viewing human rights as inviolable ‘side-constraints’. The second section draws lessons from climate migration that are relevant for climate engineering in terms of incorporating a human rights approach to duties, rights, and participation. The final section compares the ‘needs-based’ and ‘rights-based’ approaches to humanitarian work in the face of climate change and climate engineering, raising concerns for duty-bearers and right-holders. The Forum’s conclusion draws together points of overlap and suggests a path forward for policy and research on this topic.     

Effect of fipronil on biogas production performance during anaerobic digestion of chicken manure and corn straw

Fipronil is a broad-spectrum insecticide that has a good control effect on pests of commercial poultry. Although many studies have reported the environmental fate of fipronil, the influence of residual fipronil in poultry waste on biogas production has not been further explored yet. In this article, an experimental comparative study on anaerobic digestion (AD) of chicken manure (CM) and corn straw (CS) with different fipronil concentrations (FCs) was carried at 8% of total solid (TS) and mid-temperature (35?±?1)°C. The results showed that fipronil had a significant effect on biogas production during AD of CM and CS. When the FC is at a low level (≤10?mg·kg^?1), the biogas production rate is increased and the digestion period was shortened, while higher FC (≥ 20?mg·kg^?1) showed an inhibitory effect. During the monitoring of enzyme activity, low FC showed no significant effect on cellulase and saccharase, but the urease activity increased in the early stage. High FC showed inhibition of activity of cellulase and urease, but the saccharase activity was significantly inhibited until FC reached 40?mg·kg^?1. This study also confirms that the environment in anaerobic digester is favorable for the degradation of fipronil, and its half-life is about 15.83?days.     

烟台市经济增长与环境污染关系实证研究——基于VAR计量技术的检验分析

利用烟台市1986～2003年问的3类环境污染指标和人均GDP数据,基于VAR计量技术,通过变量平稳性和协整检验,格兰杰因果检验,脉冲响应函数和预测方差分解分析,对经济增长与环境污染在时序维度的关系及其动态性进行了实证研究.结果显示:①人均GDP变化是导致污染物排放量变化的格兰杰原因,但污染物排放并不必然导致人均GDP变化,这与研究期间烟台市处于工业化中期阶段的事实吻合;⑦在烟台市的经济一环境系统内,倒U曲线不是一般规律,选取不同的污染指标呈现出经济-环境间关系的不同表现形式;③经济增长对环境污染的冲击影响的滞后期短且是非渐进的,而环境污染对经济增长产生显著影响的滞后期较长且是渐进的;④经济增长对环境污染指标的预测方差起着重要的作用,而环境污染指标对经济增长的预测方差的贡献度较小.建议要加强政府对环境的监控,建立起有效的产权保护体系与市场交易机制,注重环境保护和经济的可持续发展.     

4-硝基苯胺与人血清白蛋白相互作用的研究

通过荧光和紫外光谱法研究了4-硝基苯胺与人血清白蛋白（HSA）的作用.结果表明,4-硝基苯胺对HSA的内源荧光具有强烈的猝灭作用.猝灭机理为静态猝灭,同时伴随有非辐射能量转移的发生.根据双对数方程计算其结合常数和结合位点数.确定4-硝基苯胺与HSA有一类结合部位.根据热力学参数得出4-硝基苯胺与HSA之间的主要作用力为氢键和疏水作用力.同步荧光的结果表明,作用点位靠近色氨酸,并且使色氨酸的疏水环境增强.     

庐山不同森林植被类型土壤碳库管理指数评价

土壤碳库管理指数(CPMI)是表征土壤碳库变化的一个重要量化指标,能够反映土壤的碳库变化和碳库质量。选取庐山8种森林植被类型土壤为研究对象,对其土壤有机碳库特征及碳库管理指数进行系统研究。结论表明:(1)土壤有机碳(SOC)主要分布于0~20 cm土层中,随着土层深度增加,不同森林植被类型下SOC含量急剧下降;在0~60 cm土层中,不同森林植被类型下SOC含量的平均值排序为:马尾松林常绿阔叶林灌丛针阔混交林常绿-落叶混交林黄山松林落叶阔叶林竹林。(2)不同森林植被类型下活性有机碳(ASOC)含量为0.24~0.57 g·kg–1,总有机碳(TOC)含量为9.72~14.74 g·kg–1,土壤碳库指数(CPI)为1.63~2.48,碳库活度(A)为0.019~0.062,碳库活度指数(AI)为0.388~1.265。不同森林植被类型下ASOC含量排序:落叶阔叶林黄山松林常绿-落叶阔叶混交林灌丛针阔混交林常绿阔叶林竹林马尾松林;不同森林植被类型下ASOC/TOC(%)排序:落叶阔叶林黄山松林常绿-落叶阔叶混交林竹林灌丛针阔混交林常绿阔叶林马尾松林;不同森林植被类型下CPMI排序为:落叶阔叶林黄山松林常绿-落叶阔叶混交林灌丛针阔混交林常绿阔叶林竹林马尾松林。     

Effects of humic acids derived from lignite and cattle manure on antioxidant enzymatic activities of barley root

To investigate the effects of humic acids (HAs) on the ability of plants to defend themselves against oxidative stress, barley was hydroponically cultured in the absence and presence of HAs, and the antioxidant enzymatic activities (catalase, superoxide dismutase, ascorbate and glutathione peroxidases) of root tissue were evaluated. Auxin-like structures in HAs, which were extracted from an oxidation product of lignite (LHA) and compost derived from cattle manure (CHA), were identified by pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) with tetramethylammonium hydroxide. The LHA, which had the lower molecular weight, was more effective in promoting the growth of barley root than CHA. However, the amounts of auxin-like structures in the CHA were much higher than those for LHA. The antioxidant enzymatic activities were initially decreased in the presence of LHA and CHA at the first day after refreshing the culture solution, but were significantly increased on the second day. The CHA sample, which contained relatively high levels of phenolic acids that contained auxin-like structures, was effective in increasing four types of enzymatic activities, while the activities of catalase and ascorbate peroxidase were increased in the presence of LHA, which contains naphthalene derivatives. These results indicate that using HAs as a supplement can be effective in enhancing antioxidation enzymatic activities, while the appearance of the effects is retarded because of the decomposition and release of auxin-like compounds from HAs by organic acids from the plant roots.     

资源产业空间集聚与区域经济增长:“资源诅咒”效应实证

针对"资源诅咒"研究中自然资源度量指标选取存在的科学性问题,利用资源产业空间集聚代替自然资源丰裕度和资源产业依赖度作为自然资源丰裕程度的解释变量。首先,在Krugman空间基尼系数的基础上,构建适用于测度资源产业空间集聚的计算公式,基于我国30个省(区、市)层面的数据,量化1999—2013年间资源产业的空间集聚程度,分析其排名情况和分布格局。研究显示:我国有15个省(区、市)存在资源产业空间集聚现象,这些地区大多位于长江以北,且均为自然资源富集地区。其次,构建经济增长计量模型,选取存在资源产业空间集聚现象的省(区、市)作为样本空间,并采用多种计量分析和检验方法考察资源产业空间集聚度与区域经济增长之间的直接和间接关系,分析"资源诅咒"的传导机制。研究显示:1在模型整体估计中,资源产业空间集聚的系数符号均为负,且在5%的水平上显著,说明资源产业空间集聚与区域经济增长间的关系呈现负相关,符合"资源诅咒"的基本假设。2在模型分步估计中,人力资本投资、技术创新投入和制造业发展与区域经济增长正相关,符合经典经济增长理论的逻辑关系;物质资本投资与区域经济增长负相关,可能是由于当地经济主体的消费跨期替代弹性较小,导致物质资本投资对经济增长的直接增益效应小于其对社会人力资本积累的负向效应,进而阻碍区域经济增长;政府干涉程度越高越不利于经济增长。根据研究结果,建议应明确市场调节为主、政府调控为辅的导向机制,进一步提升资源产业空间集聚程度,强化行业人员素质与技术水平匹配,逐步提高自然资源生产和利用效率,从而实现加快地区经济转型,有效促进经济可持续发展的全面提升。     

In vivo screening to determine hazards of nanoparticles: Nanosized TiO2

A single-species laboratory test with terrestrial invertebrates was used to identify the hazard of nanosized TiO₂. Feeding parameters, weight change, mortality, and the activities of catalase and glutathione-S-transferase were evaluated after 3 or 14 days of dietary exposure. The effects of nano-TiO₂ were dependent on exposure concentration and duration, total consumed quantity, size and pre-treatment of particles. The intensity of a response was ruled by duration of exposure and not by consumed quantity of nano-TiO₂ or exposure concentration as expected. The response to nano-TiO₂ is described as threshold-like. The exposure concentrations 10-1000 μg TiO₂/g dry food (1.35-1025 μg of total consumed quantity of TiO₂/g animal wet wt.) were identified as safe for tested species after tested exposure period. We conclude that the response to nanoparticles is different from that of soluble chemicals therefore these two types of data should be interpreted and processed differently.