Substance-related environmental monitoring

Background  Due to the requirements of the EU Water Framework Directive and other legal regulations (e.g., national laws like the German Federal Soil Protection Act), but also due to the implementation of the new EU chemicals management system REACH, environmental monitoring will gain increasing importance for the surveillance of environmental quality as well as for the assessment of chemicals. Against this background, the Work Group on ‘Environmental Monitoring’ of the Division of ‘Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology’ within the German Chemical Society has compiled a position paper on substance-related environmental monitoring. Scope  Core elements of this position paper are the definitions of important terms like monitoring, exposure monitoring, effect monitoring, and integrated monitoring. Moreover, temporal and spatial aspects (monitoring of spatial distributions, trend monitoring, and retrospective monitoring) and their applications are discussed. The main focus of this position paper is the coverage of aspects which have to be observed for the preparation and implementation of a monitoring program. Essential is the clear specification of the targets of the monitoring which determine the development of the monitoring concept and its realization, e.g., if environmental media (compartments) or organisms are most appropriate as samples for the aim of the study. Of course, also the properties of the target substances are important (e.g., lipophilicity/bioaccumulation as pre-requisite for an exposure monitoring with organisms). Finally, the monitoring phases of sample planning, sampling, storage and transport of samples, selection of analytical methods, quality assurance measures as well as reporting are discussed. Perspectives  An important issue for the future is to link the quantification of chemicals in environmental compartments (exposure and pollution monitoring) more closely to the study of biological effects (effect monitoring) than has been the case up to now. Furthermore, by inclusion of a spatial differentiation, a comprehensive evaluation of the state of an ecosystem can be obtained and the relevance of the results improved. Practical examples of monitoring studies which illustrate various aspects covered in this position paper will be presented in a series of publications by members of the Work Group in the following issues of this journal.

Socio-Economic Stakes and Perceptions of Wetland Management in an Arid Region: A Case Study from Chott Merouane, Algeria

The objective of our study was to identify how actors from the main socio-economic sectors perceive their interactions and impacts on a sensitive wetland in an arid climate, specifically the salt pans of Chott Merouane in Algeria. The results revealed that there are three main economic stakes including agriculture, livestock production and salt mining, each activity providing a great benefit for local and national populations. The local population perceived that the current activities are conducted in such a way that they created conflict between socio-economic sectors and caused a threat for long term sustainability of the wetlands. The results highlighted the need to initiate an integrated management approach between the different sectors and to develop a shared vision for the territory.     

新时代国土整治与生态修复转型思考

针对全球变化影响下的国土空间和生态系统,生态文明建设和国土空间规划是中国在新时代的积极响应,国土整治与生态修复的转型和提升成为必然要求。在介绍国土整治与生态修复概念内涵的基础上,指出中国国土空间生态环境问题的复杂性和生态文明建设的新理念要求决定了国土整治与生态修复的转型。从工作理念、理论基础、技术体系和制度建设等方面,分析了当前国土整治与生态修复工作中存在的不足,主要包括整体综合理念滞后、理论基础体系欠缺、技术支撑相对薄弱、体制机制不尽完善等方面。针对这些不足,提出了新时代国土整治与生态修复转型的路径和策略,主要策略包括强化系统思维、提升理论体系、加强技术支撑、完善机制建设等内容,以期为国土整治与生态修复推进美丽中国建设提供科学依据。     

魅力国土空间:重塑区域特色的国土空间规划策略

国土空间规划的提出使我国的规划体系进入到新的发展时期与发展语境,国土空间开发方向已从生产空间为主导转向生态、生活、生产空间相协调。如何将基于“三生空间”概念的传统国土空间认知提升到丰富文化脉络、生态特征、生活基础的复合魅力国土空间,如何对不同区域的发展进行侧重,杜绝对单一发展模式的盲目跟风,是国家和地方面临的共同重大主题。结合国土空间在历史与现实不同时期的发展表征和形成原因,在回溯空间认知过程、反思空间规划实践的基础上,厘清了魅力国土空间的概念与内涵,提出国土空间规划体系下魅力国土空间的关注焦点,从区域发展平衡、管控弹性调整、空间要素流动、发展目标优化等方面阐述了魅力国土空间的作用与功能。     

太阳能驱动的一体化设备在农村污水处理中的应用

以太湖流域环境敏感区内某村为例,介绍了太阳能驱动的污水处理一体化设备对农村生活污水处理的应用。连续6个月的运行及监测数据表明,污水处理实际消耗电量与光伏发电量比值为54.3%,能够有效地保证污水处理所需动力。污水处理部分采用A/O-BF一体化技术,生活污水经处理以后,出水水质达到GB 18918-2002《城镇污水处理厂污染物排放标准》中一级A标准。太阳能驱动的污水处理一体化设备运行稳定、故障率低、无需投加药剂且无运行费用,适宜在太湖流域的农村地区推广应用。     

国内外城市绿脉规划实践初探

在城市化的进程中,城市发展与生态环境建设之间的矛盾日益突出。绿脉规划作为保证城市可持续发展的一种有效手段正逐步融入到城市规划中。城市绿脉规划不但对自然资源起到保护作用,满足人们的休闲娱乐的需要,恢复并保存了有价值的文化资源,还对城市空间布局和城市生态环境建设具有引导作用。文章列举了美国、欧洲和亚洲的部分特大型城市绿脉规划的实践经验,以及我国城市在绿脉规划方面的尝试。最后,对绿脉规划过程中需要注意的问题进行了讨论并提出建议。     

复杂建筑空间人员应急疏散的无人机引导模型研究*

为提升紧急情况下复杂建筑空间中应急疏散引导的疏散效率,采用仿真模拟方法,提出1套可适用于复杂建筑空间人员应急疏散的无人机引导模型,该模型通过改进传统算法和构建新方法,实现无人机空间遍历移动规则寻优、无人机引导路径寻优以及基于“障碍物空间场域”建筑空间区域划分。研究结果表明:相较于没有无人机引导,采用单无人机和多无人机协同引导疏散,可大幅缩短整体疏散时间,有效减少疏散路径当量长度,提高疏散效率并保证路径安全,为无人机在应急救援和疏散的应用提供新思路。     

I-Risk: development of an integrated technical and management risk methodology for chemical installations

This paper presents an integrated quantitative risk assessment method for hazardous installations, taking into account management as well as technical design and producing risk level measures. The key components of the I-Risk methodology are the technical model, the management model and their interface. The technical model consists of developing a master logic diagram (MLD) delineating the major immediate causes of loss of containment (LOC) and associated quantitative models for assessing their frequency. The management model consists of the tasks, which must be carried out systematically in the primary business functions (such as operations, emergency operations, maintenance and modifications). A management audit quantifies the quality of these management tasks. The management–technical interface modifies certain parameters of the technical model on the basis of the quality of the safety management system of the specific installation. The methodology is exemplified through its application to the risk assessment of an ammonia storage facility. A detailed technical model simulating the response of the system to various initiating events is developed along with a detailed management model simulating the influence of the plant-specific management and organisational practices. The overall effect is quantified through the frequency of release of ammonia as a result of a loss of containment in a storage tank and in a pipeline.     

Policy and Science Implications of the Framing and Qualities of Uncertainty in Risks: Toxic and Beneficial Fish from the Baltic Sea

Policy and research issues in the framing and qualities of uncertainties in risks are analyzed, based on the assessments of dioxin-like compounds (DLCs) and other ingredients in Baltic Sea fish, a high-profile case of governance. Risks are framed broadly, to then focus on dioxins and beneficial fatty acids, fish consumption, human health, and science-management links. Hierarchies of uncertainty (data, model, decision rule, and epistemic) and ambiguity (of values) are used to identify issues of scientific and policy contestation and opportunities for resolving them. The associated complexity of risks is illustrated by risk–benefit analyses of fish consumption and by evaluations of guideline values, highlighting value contents and policy factors in presumably scientific decision criteria, and arguments used in multi-dimensional risk and benefit comparisons. These comparisons pose challenges to narrow assessments centered, for e.g., on toxicants or on food benefits, and to more many-sided and balanced risk communication and management. It is shown that structured and contextualized treatment of uncertainties and ambiguities in a reflexive approach can inform balances between wide and narrow focus, detail and generality, and evidence and precaution.     

基于潜在生命损失的危险化学品仓储区规划选址和安全布局方法研究

在现有基于风险的土地使用安全规划方法的基础上,通过引入潜在生命损失这一综合风险评价指标,建立了基于移动危险源潜在生命损失的危险化学品仓储区规划选址模型和基于固定危险源潜在生命损失的仓储区安全布局优化模型。在此基础上,提出了危险化学品仓储区规划选址和安全布局优化方法,并通过案例分析验证了该方法的适用性和可行性。采用该规划选址和安全布局优化方法可提高区域土地使用安全规划的效率,为进行城市重大危险源的规划选址和安全布局提供了新的思路。