Application of constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment in tropical and subtropical regions (2000-2013)

Constructed wetlands(CWs) have been successfully used for treating various wastewaters for decades and have been identified as a sustainable wastewater management option for developing countries. With the goal of promoting sustainable engineered systems that support human well-being but are also compatible with sustaining natural(environmental)systems, the application of CWs has become more relevant. Such application is especially significant for developing countries with tropical climates, which are very conducive to higher biological activity and productivity, resulting in higher treatment efficiencies compared to those in temperate climates. This paper therefore highlights the practice,applications, and research of treatment wetlands under tropical and subtropical conditions since 2000. In the present review, removal of biochemical oxygen demand(BOD) and total suspended solid(TSS) was shown to be very efficient and consistent across all types of treatment wetlands. Hybrid systems appeared more efficient in the removal of total suspended solid(TSS)(91.3%), chemical oxygen demand(COD)(84.3%), and nitrogen(i.e.,80.7% for ammonium(NH)4-N, 80.8% for nitrate(NO)3-N, and 75.4% for total nitrogen(TN))as compared to other wetland systems. Vertical subsurface flow(VSSF) CWs removed TSS(84.9%), BOD(87.6%), and nitrogen(i.e., 66.2% for NH4-N, 73.3% for NO3-N, and 53.3% for TN)more efficiently than horizontal subsurface flow(HSSF) CWs, while HSSF CWs(69.8%)showed better total phosphorus(TP) removal compared to VSSF CWs(60.1%). Floating treatment wetlands(FTWs) showed comparable removal efficiencies for BOD(70.7%),NH4-N(63.6%), and TP(44.8%) to free water surface(FWS) CW systems.     

滤膜法测定悬浮物出现负误差原因研究

为了对滤膜法测定水中悬浮物出现负误差的情况进行研究,从滤膜的前处理到滤膜的选择进行了一系列实验,发现主要原因是滤膜在实验的过程中产生失重。对几种微孔滤膜进行了空白实验,得出有机滤膜的空白校正值为0.0000～0.0004g,低于或等于悬浮物的称量误差,此类滤膜用于水中悬浮物的测定,能减少恒重次数,缩短实验时间,提高测定结果的科学性和准确性。     

Computer programs for calculating soil loss on a watershed basis

A series of computer programs designed to predict gross annual soil loss on a watershed basis by application of the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) have been developed. The programs provide an easy-to-use, flexible, and standardized means of organizing base data and applying the USLE to large land areas. The programs can be used to assess and to evaluate the effects of changing land-use patterns and conservation practices on soil losses. Critical or problem areas can be readily identified. The USLE Computer Programs are a useful research tool for investigators involved in water quality management, 208 planning, or conservation research.The package of computer programs consists of three main components: data input, the Main Program, and the Totals Program. Input data include both field base data describing the watershed and corresponding values for the factors in the USLE. The Main Program calculates the average rate of soil loss (tons/ acre/yr) and the total soil loss (tons/yr) for the smallest subunit of the watershed identified as the soil unit. Also calculated is an RKLS factor, which is an indication of the erosive potential of a given soil type, slope, and slope length, under a particular rainfall regime. The Totals Program aggregates soil unit losses into progressively larger units, that is, field, farm, subwatershed, and watershed units. An example of the programs' versatility and use is presented.     

油田联合站沉降罐小呼吸损耗核算

利用美国石油协会(API)小呼吸损耗核算新公式对国内某油田4个联合站的采出液沉降罐进行了小呼吸损耗核算,并与实测数据进行了对比分析。分析结果表明,API的核算值与实测值的差别较大,相对误差可达90%以上,原因是国内油田采出液沉降罐的现场工况与API公式的模拟条件差别较大。在数据分析的基础上引入平均液体表面温度和平均气体流速两个影响因子对上述公式进行了修正,并利用修正后的公式对另外两个联合站的沉降罐进行了小呼吸损耗核算,核算结果的相对误差降至10%以下。     

An Approach for Estimating Soil Carbon Using the National Nutrient Loss Database

Agricultural lands have the potential to contribute to greenhouse gas mitigation by sequestering organic carbon within the soil. Credible and consistent estimates will be necessary to design programs and policies to encourage management practices that increase carbon sequestration. Because a nationwide survey of soil carbon by the wide range of natural resources and management conditions of the United States is prohibitively expensive, a simulation modeling approach must be used. The National Nutrient Loss Database (NNLD) is a modeling and database system designed and built jointly by the USDA– Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Texas A&M University to provide science-based inferences on environmental impacts from changes in agricultural management practices and programs at the regional and national level. Currently, the NNLD simulates 16 crops and covers 1.35 × 10⁸ ha. For estimating soil carbon sequestration, the database will be populated with 1.5 × 10⁶ field-level model runs using the EPIC (Environmental Policy Impact Calculator) model, which includes newly incorporated carbon equations consistent with those in the Century model. Each run will represent a unique situation defined by state, crop, climate, soil, irrigation type, conservation practice, tillage system, and nutrient management treatment (nutrient rate, application frequency, application timing, and manure category). Results are to be assigned to specific National Resource Inventory points (NRI) to simulate regional and national baselines. In this article we present the modeling approach and discuss the strengths and limitations. Published online     

Levels and Influencing Factors of Noise Pollution from Small-Scale Industries (SSIs) in a Developing Country

A study was carried out to determine levels and factors that influence noise pollution from small-scale industries (SSIs) in Dar es Salaam City Tanzania. Two sites for wood- and metalworks industries were investigated. Both sites exhibited equivalent noise levels higher than 90.0 dBA, the permissible exposure level limit for occupational noise. At a woodworks SSI, noise levels were found to correlate well with machine-use age, wood-feed speed, and wood-cut depth. Additionally, noise emanating from both types of SSIs was found to influence the level of environmental noise in the neighborhood of the SSIs. One woodworks SSI was found to have a circle of influence of about 140 m. The study concluded that SSIs present a serious source of environmental noise pollution in their neighborhoods. Noise pollution from SSIs is greatly influenced by the type of SSIs and the activities they carry out, the type and age of machines they use, their location relative to residential areas in their vicinity, and in-house noise control measures.     

GIS在巨灾保险风险管理中的应用研究

近年来 ,巨灾的不断发生 ,使得许多保险和再保险公司遭受巨大赔偿 ,乃至可能造成破产。究其原因 ,除了人们对巨灾自身难以抗拒这一客观原因外 ,保险企业对巨灾保险的风险管理方法、技术和手段的不适也是一个很重要的因素。为此 ,笔者分析了利用GIS辅助巨灾保险风险管理的优越性 ,并就GIS在巨灾保险的信息管理、风险累积预测和风险管理专家系统中所起的作用和发挥的功能分别进行了探讨。利用GIS辅助巨灾保险风险管理 ,不仅可以了解巨灾的发生和变化规律 ,进行危险性区域和费率区域的划分 ,而且可以优化保险和再保险方案 ,并通过专家系统设计出符合实用灾情的风险管理及保险管理的对策 ,对保险公司的巨灾保险风险管理起到了重要的指导作用。     

Bioremediation of Soil Degraded by Sewage Sludge: Effects on Soil Properties and Erosion Losses

Soils in the Mediterranean area are very prone to erosion due to the loss of organic matter and the consequent lack of protective vegetation. In this experiment a Mediterranean degraded soil with a 15% slope was amended at a rate of 250 t ha^–1 wet weight with sewage sludge and with a mixture of sewage sludge and barley straw (70% carbon from sewage sludge and 30% from the straw) in order to study their influence on soil structure recovery and hence the soilss resistance to erosion processes. Both types of organic amendment led to an improvement in several soil properties (physical, biological, and microbiological) as a result of the spontaneous growth plant covering that became evident three months after amendment. This vegetation remained throughout the two years of the experiment and prevented the water erosion processes that normally precede soil degradation. Amendment by sewage sludge alone reduced soil loss by 80% compared with the control soil, while the mixture that included both sewage sludge and barley straw reduced losses by 84%, both reducing runoff by 57%. The amended soils showed increases in the percentage of stable aggregates, the levels of the total and water-soluble C fractions, microbial biomass C, basal respiration, and the activity of the different enzymes involved in the biogeochemical cycles of C, N, and P. The results confirm the usefulness of sewage sludge as an organic amendment for recovering damaged soils.     

地震间接经济损失研究

对发生在我国大陆地区的20余次地震中相关的40多个地区地震前后的经济情况进行了统计分析,利用国内生产总值(GDP)的变化估计了地震灾害造成的间接经济损失,对地震间接经济损失与直接经济损失之间的比率关系进行分析研究,可为将来地震间接经济损失估计提供参考。     

从多侧面评估地震灾害的产业关联间接经济损失

以投入产出分析方法作为基本数学分析工具,从机会损失的角度,对地震灾害产业关联间接经济损失从四个不同的侧面进行评估,并提出了相应的评估模型．