Sorption and degradation of neonicotinoid insecticides in tropical soils

ABSTRACT

Neonicotinoids are the most widely applied class of insecticides in cocoa farming in Ghana. Despite the intensive application of these insecticides, knowledge of their fate in the Ghanaian and sub-Saharan African environment remains low. This study examined the behavior of neonicotinoids in soils from cocoa plantations in Ghana by estimating their sorption and degradation using established kinetic models and isotherms. Studies of sorption were conducted using the batch equilibrium method on imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, clothianidin, acetamiprid and thiacloprid, while degradation of imidacloprid, thiamethoxam and their respective deuterated counterparts was studied using models proposed by the European forum for coordination of pesticide fate and their use (FOCUS). Analytes were extracted using the quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe (QuEChERS) procedure and quantified by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). Average recoveries were high (≥ 85%) for all analytes. The findings from the study suggest that neonicotinoid insecticides may be persistent in the soils studied based on estimated half-lives > 150 days. The study also revealed generally low-sorption coefficients for neonicotinoids in soils, largely influenced by soil organic carbon.     

旋流气浮工艺接触区气泡-颗粒碰撞理论研究

为了对旋流气浮过程中的动力学行为和气浮分离效率进行准确预测,在借鉴重力场下气泡-颗粒碰撞模型建立方法的基础上,考虑旋流气浮的特点,首次将表征流态的雷诺数引入到各种碰撞过程中,推导建立了旋流气浮接触区的气泡-颗粒碰撞效率模型.理论模型显示:低强度旋流气浮工艺中气泡-颗粒的各种碰撞效应主要与雷诺数、气泡和颗粒直径有关.当颗粒直径接近于分子直径时,即直径为1nm时,碰撞主要受扩散碰撞所控制;当颗粒在1~10nm之间时,碰撞主要受扩散碰撞和离心沉降效应的共同作用所控制;当颗粒在10nm~1μm时,碰撞主要受离心沉降效应所控制;当颗粒大于1μm时,碰撞将受截留效应、离心沉降效应和惯性效应联合作用.该模型能够准确预测旋流气浮过程中的动力学行为和分离效率,为旋流气浮工艺的实际应用提供一定的理论依据.     

Assessing self-organization of plant communities—A thermodynamic approach

Thermodynamics is a powerful tool for the study of system development and has the potential to be applied to studies of ecological complexity. Here, we develop a set of thermodynamic indicators including energy capture and energy dissipation to quantify plant community self-organization. The study ecosystems included a tropical seasonal rainforest, an artificial tropical rainforest, a rubber plantation, and two Chromolaena odorata (L.) R.M. King & H. Robinson communities aged 13 years and 1 year. The communities represent a complexity transect from primary vegetation, to transitional community, economic plantation, and fallows and are typical for Xishuangbanna, southwestern China. The indicators of ecosystem self-organization are sensitive to plant community type and seasonality, and demonstrate that the tropical seasonal rainforest is highly self-organized and plays an important role in local environmental stability via the land surface thermal regulation. The rubber plantation is at a very low level of self-organization as quantified by the thermodynamic indicators, especially during the dry season. The expansion of the area of rubber plantation and shrinkage of tropical seasonal rainforest would likely induce local surface warming and a larger daily temperature range.     

新一代切流直流式低阻高效旋风除尘器的研制

切流直流式旋风除尘器是一种新型低阻高效除尘器，由于取消了内旋涡流，使阻力损失降低了５０％以上，对于０～５０μｍ的锅炉烟道飞灰，其总除尘效率达９９％。本文介绍了该型除尘器研制的理论依据、技术关键、结构特点、工作原理、试验台系统的设计以及主要性能的测试结果。     

Monitoring a Recent Delta Formation in a Tropical Coastal Wetland Using Remote Sensing and GIS. Case Study: Guapo River Delta, Laguna de Tacarigua, Venezuela

The integrated use of remotely sensed data and GIS to monitor a rapid recent delta formation was undertaken in the Tacarigua Lagoon, a mangrove coastal protected wetland in the north-central coast of Venezuela. Recently, the resource value of coastal wetlands such as coastal lagoons and deltas, has brought about a need to protect and conserve these ecosystems. To that end, valuable resources such as these should be continuously monitored so that temporal changes in their environment can be analysed. The importance of determining the cause, extent, and spatial distribution of these changes can then be used in different aspects of environmental studies, land suitability analyses and for wise resource management. Aerospace data interpretation and a field survey were utilised to study the formation of the Guapo River delta within the Tacarigua Lagoon and to map the expansion that this depositional environment has undergone. A historical set of aerial photographs and a radar image, together with a GIS, were used to assess the growth of the delta from the beginning of its formation up to the present time.     

改进旋风器结构提高除尘效率的新方法

讨论改变旋风器整体结构，增加附件，改进原有旋风器构件的几种改进结构新做法，分析这些做法提高除尘效率的合理性。     

A preliminary study on mortality attributed to tropical cyclones in Taiwan 2000–2014

Studies on mortality attributed to tropical cyclones often concern large-scale disasters. Attention is rarely paid to small-scale mortality over the long term. To understand the relationship between the environment and the behavior that contributes to mortality, this article uses a classification table to review the 1556 deaths attributed to tropical cyclones, named typhoons, in Taiwan during the period 2000–2014. The results demonstrate that the majority of outdoor deaths are associated with work-related activities, while most indoor deaths occur during non-work-related activities. Taking action, such as stopping the car on a bridge if the tail lights of a vehicle in front disappear, and not walking on the roadside when the road is flooded by muddy water, may help to reduce the likelihood of typhoon-attributed death. The findings also help to dispel four myths associated with typhoon-attributed mortality.     

袋式除尘器和旋风除尘器的性能及其应用的比较

文章简要介绍了袋式除尘器和旋风除尘器的产生背景和发展历史,说明了两种除尘器的一般结构和工作原理。重点介绍了袋式除尘器和旋风除尘器的性能及其影响因素,并对两者在实际中的应用做了比较,比较结果显示:旋风除尘器主要优点表现在受含尘气体的浓度、温度限制小,对于粉尘的物理性质无特殊要求;压力损失中等,动力消耗不大,运转、维护费用较低;袋式除尘器的主要优点是除尘效率高,特别是对微细粉尘的处理能达到较为理想的效果。由此分析预测了两种除尘器在中国的应用及其发展趋势。     

Analysis of deforestation pattern in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria

This study examines deforestation in a part of the Niger Delta region of Nigeria between 1987 and 2013 using remote sensing data and geographic information systems. The results indicate an increasing rate of deforestation, an increasing rate of water body loss and a decreasing rate of exposed surface/settlement increase. The results also show that the rate at which cropland/secondary vegetation is increasing is above average while sandbar is increasing below average. The implications of these changes include environmental degradation resulting from loss of biodiversity and loss of forest goods and services. These losses can also affect the social and economic conditions of local people. The study recommends that policies and strategies targeted at slowing down the rate of forest loss and degradation should be pursued.     

Applying a problem-solving scenario in risk communication of low probability events

ABSTRACT

This study proposes a problem-solving scenario approach to enhance risk communication of low probability events, and aims to understand the effects of such an approach. An experiment was conducted in order to understand the comparative effects of presenting a casualty case with photos and demonstrating a problem scenario via an animation of participants’ anticipated responses to a simulated life-or-death choice. Forty-eight and 55 valid samples were collected respectively for two groups of participants. The results reveal a higher proportion of appropriate responses in the group presented with a problem scenario. Gender difference is found in the group exposed to a problem scenario - a larger percentage of males appear to respond more appropriately when presented with a life-threatening scenario without having being told what has happened. Having the ability to drive an automobile, which is presumably relevant to participants’ responses in a scenario associated with driving, does not, however, appear to differ significantly between the groups. The finding suggests that using a problem-solving scenario approach, compared with merely offering potential consequences of risks is more effective in stimulating appropriate responses to prevent casualty for information users.