Will photosynthetic capacity of aspen trees acclimate after long-term exposure to elevated CO2 and O3?

Photosynthetic acclimation under elevated carbon dioxide (CO₂) and/or ozone (O₃) has been the topic of discussion in many papers recently. We examined whether or not aspen plants grown under elevated CO₂ and/or O₃ will acclimate after 11 years of exposure at the Aspen Face site in Rhinelander, WI, USA. We studied diurnal patterns of instantaneous photosynthetic measurements as well as A/C_i measurements monthly during the 2004-2008 growing seasons. Our results suggest that the responses of two aspen clones differing in O₃ sensitivity showed no evidence of photosynthetic and stomatal acclimation under either elevated CO₂, O₃ or CO₂ + O₃. Both clones 42E and 271 did not show photosynthetic nor stomatal acclimation under elevated CO₂ and O₃ after a decade of exposure. We found that the degree of increase or decrease in the photosynthesis and stomatal conductance varied significantly from day to day and from one season to another.     

离子交换法选择性回收污泥厌氧消化液中的磷

为探讨高效选择性回收污泥厌氧消化液中磷的离子交换方法,采用静态实验和动态实验研究了4种阴离子交换树脂（D213、D202、D301和DSQ）的磷回收性能,筛选了适合富磷污泥厌氧消化液选择性磷回收的高交换容量树脂。实验结果表明,D213、D202、D301和DSQ 4种树脂对正磷浓度为70 mg/L的厌氧消化液进行动态处理时,其最大穿透体积分别为3、7、17和90 BV;DSQ树脂磷交换容量远高于其他3种树脂,达到6 860 mg P/L湿树脂,是目前报道的高磷交换容量树脂的3~4倍;DSQ树脂能有效地抵抗厌氧消化液中有机质和硫酸根等阴离子的干扰;用NaOH溶液再生DSQ树脂并回收磷,磷洗脱率超过96%,洗脱液是高浓度含磷液,可作为磷矿石的优质替代品。研究表明,DSQ树脂是一种高效选择性分离磷的树脂,适用于污泥厌氧消化液的磷回收。     

Photoinduced reduction of divalent mercury in ice by organic matter

Reduction of divalent mercury and subsequent emission to the atmosphere has been identified as loss process from surface snow, but its mechanism and importance are still unclear. The amount of mercury that stays in the snow pack until spring is of significance, because during snow melt it may be released to the aquatic environment and enter the food web. Better knowledge of its fate in snow might further assist the interpretation of ice core data as paleo-archive. Experiments were performed under well-controlled laboratory conditions in a coated wall flow tube at atmospheric pressure and irradiated with light between 300 nm and 420 nm. Our results show that the presence of benzophenone and of oxalic acid significantly enhances the release of mercury from the ice film during irradiation, whereas humic acid is less potent to promote the reduction. Further it was found that oxygen or chloride, and acidic conditions lowered the photolytically induced mercury release in the presence of benzophenone, while the release got larger with increasing temperatures.     

Magnetic ion exchange treatment of stabilized landfill leachate

Stabilized landfill leachate is characterized by a high concentration of non-biodegradable organic matter, which is similar in chemistry to dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the natural aquatic environment. Magnetic ion exchange (MIEX) resin treatment is well-studied in drinking water for removal of DOM from natural waters. There are fewer studies evaluating MIEX treatment of waste waters, and there is no previous work evaluating MIEX treatment of landfill leachate. This work systematically evaluated MIEX treatment of stabilized landfill leachate and evaluated the results in the context of previous studies of MIEX treatment of natural and waste waters. Five leachates from four landfills were evaluated as a function of MIEX resin dose, mixing time, and regeneration efficiency. MIEX resin removed DOM from landfill leachate, even in the presence of a reported high background concentration of inorganic ions. MIEX resin that was exhausted with leachate DOM was effectively regenerated with a concentrated NaCl solution, and regenerated MIEX resin performed similarly to virgin resin. For a majority of the leachates, the removal trend for MIEX resin was color > UV-absorbing substances > dissolved organic carbon ≈ COD > total nitrogen. Finally, MIEX resin removed a wider range of DOM from leachate than coagulation. The most important contribution of this work is that MIEX treatment of leachate followed very similar trends as MIEX treatment of natural waters, which will allow previous MIEX data to be used to estimate the treatment efficiency of other waste waters.     

Influence of GSTM1 and GSTT1 genotypes and confounding factors on the frequency of sister chromatid exchange and micronucleus among road construction workers

In the present study, we have investigated the influence of polymorphism of GSTM1 and GSTT1 genes and confounding factors such as age, sex, exposure duration and consumption habits on cytogenetic biomarkers. Frequency of sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs), high frequency cell (HFC) and cytokinesis blocked micronuclei (CBMN) were evaluated in peripheral blood lymphocytes of 115 occupationally exposed road construction workers and 105 unexposed individuals. The distribution of null and positive genotypes of glutathione-S transferase gene was evaluated by multiplex PCR among control and exposed subjects. An increased frequency of CBMN (7.03 ± 2.08); SCE (6.95 ± 1.76) and HFC (6.28 ± 1.69) were found in exposed subjects when compared to referent (CBMN - 3.35 ± 1.10; SCE - 4.13 ± 1.30 and HFC - 3.98 ± 1.56). These results were found statistically significant at p < 0.05. When the effect of confounding factors on the frequency of studied biomarkers was evaluated, a strong positive interaction was found. The individuals having GSTM1 and GSTT1 null genotypes had higher frequency of CBMN, SCE and HFC. The association between GSTM1 and GSTT1 genotypes and studied biomarkers was found statistically significant at p < 0.05. Our findings suggest that individuals having null type of GST are more susceptible to cytogenetic damage by occupational exposure regardless of confounding factors. There is a significant effect of polymorphism of these genes on cytogenetic biomarkers which are considered as early effects of genotoxic carcinogens.     

The effect of greenhouse vegetation coverage and area on the performance of an earth-to-air heat exchanger for heating and cooling modes

The underground temperature at a depth of about 3–4 m is almost constant all the year round. In summer, the underground temperature is lower than the ambient temperature, but in winter it is vice versa. This potentiality is considered for greenhouse cooling and heating by using an earth-to-air heat exchanger (EAHE). This paper considers the effects of two parameters as independent variables including the area of greenhouse and the percentage of vegetation coverage inside the greenhouse on the performance of an EAHE system during both cooling and heating modes. The inside temperature, the thermal energy exchange and the coefficient of performance (COP) of the system were considered as dependent variables. The results showed that both greenhouse area and the percentage of vegetation coverage inside the greenhouse had significant effects on the performance of the EAHE system during both cooling and heating modes. However, the COP of the EAHE system was higher in the cooling mode (4.32) than during the heating mode (1.01). The percentage of vegetation coverage negatively affected the performance of the EAHE system in the cooling mode. However, the performance of the EAHE system improved with the increase in the percentage of vegetation coverage during the heating mode.     

基于博弈论的非点源污染控制模型探讨

随着对工业和城市生活污水等点源污染治理能力的不断增强,农业非点源污染对水质环境的影响日益凸现.相对于点源污染,非点源污染发生的不确定时间、不确定途径、不确定量等特点给治理政策的制定带来很大难度.本文从著名的公地悲剧现象出发,着力从市场博弈及政府监督博弈两个模型分析非点源污染制造者之间的博弈格局,并提出以“集体表现”的形式对非点源污染进行管理和控制.市场博弈模型中以一定的排污削减目标为前提,确定以成本最优的原则进行点源-非点源排污权交易是可行且有效率的;而政府监督博弈模型的结果显示:合理的环境补贴和惩罚机制、政府对自身声誉及公众形象的重视及维护对非点源污染治理起正向促进作用.     

CHEMISTRY RESPONSE OF TWO FORESTED WATERSHEDS TO ACID ATMOSPHERIC DEPOSITION1

ABSTRACT: The deposition and chemistry of precipitation were estimated for one year in two forest ecosystems in the South-Central United States. Precipitation, throughfall, litter leachate, and soil leachate were analyzed for a small catchment of pine-hardwoods in southeastern Oklahoma and for a catchment of loblolly pines (Pinus taeda L.) in northern Mississippi. In the pine-hardwood forest, 98 percent of the acid deposition was neutralized, 50 percent in the forest canopy, and 48 percent in the forest floor. In the pine forest, 75 percent of the acid deposition was neutralized, all in the forest floor. The pine-hardwood ecosystem accumulated sulfate, nitrate, and ammonia ions, and lost base cations. During seasons of deficient precipitation, dry deposition appeared to enrich the concentrations of hydrogen, nitrate, sulfate, and ammonia ions in throughfall samples at both locations.     

Patterns of Streamwater Acidity in Lye Brook Wilderness,Vermont, USA

Under the United States Clean Air Act Amendments of 1977, a class I designation safeguards wilderness areas from the negative effects of new sources of air pollution. We monitored streamwater chemistry in the class I Lye Brook Wilderness in southwestern Vermont from May 1994 through August 1995. Stream samples were collected biweekly at nine sampling locations throughout the wilderness and were analyzed for major cations and anions, dissolved organic carbon, pH, and acid-neutralizing capacity. Eight of nine sites sampled had mean annual acid neutralizing capacity values below zero. During the study period, decreases in streamwater acid neutralizing capacity values were caused primarily by SO₄ ²⁻. At some sites, however, NO₃ ⁻ and naturally occurring, weak organic acids were seasonally important. During high discharge, the low pH and high concentrations of inorganic monomeric Al were at levels that are toxic to acid-sensitive aquatic species. Watershed mass balances were calculated to determine annual gains or losses for measured ions. These budgets indicate that S inputs and outputs were nearly equal, there was a net loss of base cations, and a net gain in N. How long these watersheds can continue to assimilate additional N inputs is unknown.     

Sustainable Agriculture: New Paradigms and Old Practices? Increased Production with Management of Organic Inputs in Senegal

Farmers in Sahelian countries are confronted with a variety of soil fertility and management problems. During the last two decades, NGOs have worked with farmers and research institutions to develop and test practices that will increase food production, while at the same time enhance the natural resource base.Since 1987, The Rodale Institute (RI) has worked closely with farmers' associations and government institutions to promote regenerative agriculture-farming systems that prioritize the use of local resources while improving them as they are used to grow food, using agro-ecological methods. The Senegalese Agricultural Research Institute has collaborated in this program as a partner of RI. The Senegal Regenerative Agriculture Resource Center model has been applied as a new and viable approach that builds on traditional knowledge and farmer-to-farmer exchange.Research results on soil conservation and improvement have shown that fields spread with amended animal manure or compost yield greater harvests than fields farmed with traditional methods.