Trace elements in coconut water—a preliminary study

Trace element analysis for five elements namely, Ba, Sr, Mn, Cr and Cd was carried out on both ash weight and dry weight basis for mine water and coconut water from Mangampeta barite area. The concentration of trace elements is strikingly different in the coconut water when compared with that of mine water. The coconut plant has the ability to control the presence of certain inorganic elements in its water, whatever be the amount of those elements present in irrigation water. Further, biogeochemical studies of coconut water may be of considerable importance in balneology.     

Pulmonary inflammation induced by office dust and the relation to 1 → 3-β-glucan using different extraction techniques

It is observed that 1?→?3-β-glucan, a major cell wall component of fungi, induces pulmonary inflammation. There is inconsistency in determining the correlation between the levels of glucan measured by current extraction methods and the respiratory inflammation observed in individuals or lab animals exposed to environmental dust samples. The glucan-specific limulus amebocyte lysate (G-LAL) method was used after extraction with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) or sodium hydroxide (NaOH) to analyze the glucan content of office dust samples collected from a water-damaged building. C3HeB/FeJ mice, an endotoxin-sensitive strain, were treated with different dust samples (2.5?mg?kg^?1 body weight) or saline (vehicle control) by pharyngeal aspiration. At 1?day after aspiration, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was performed, and lung inflammation and injury were assessed by measuring: (1) neutrophil (PMN) infiltration, (2) inflammatory cytokine (IL-6, IL-10, MCP-1, IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IL12-p70) levels, and (3) albumin and lactate dehydrogenase in recovered BAL fluid. Both DMSO and NaOH extraction increased the detection of glucan by approximately 20-fold compared to water extraction. However, only the DMSO extraction method showed a statistically significant positive correlation between 1?→?3-β-glucan and albumin levels, total numbers of BAL, polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) cells recovered, levels of TNF-α, MCP-1, and IL-6. In conclusion, 1?→?3-β-glucan is a potent inflammatory agent in dust samples and DMSO extraction for glucan analysis may prove useful in understanding the impact of environmental contamination by glucans on lung disease.     

Combined treatment of phenolic wastewater by wet air oxidation and activated sludge

Wet air oxidation (WAO) is employed in this work for treating high concentration chemical wastewater containing phenol and/or phenolic compounds. Experimental results indicate that over 90% removal of phenol or phenolic compounds can be efficiently achieved in the WAO process. Despite of the high treatment efficiency of the WAO process, the treated wastewater, however, still retains relatively high chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentration and does not meet the safe discharge standard. Hence further treatment of the WAO treated wastewater by an aerobic biological treatment using acclimatized activated sludge is necessary. It is found in the present studies that the combined process, if appropriately operated, is capable of drastically reducing the COD concentration of the high concentration chemical wastewater to meet the safe discharge requirement. The operating conditions of the combined process are investigated to determine their respective effects on the overall treatment efficiency. The experimental data also indicate that the oxidation reaction can be represented by a first order kinetics in terms of the component or COD concentration. For both single component and multicomponent wastewaters, the WAO process was found to have different activation energy for oxidation below and above 200°C, suggesting possibly different reaction mechanisms between these temperature ranges. The experimental results provided in the present work can provide significant and practical information for optimizing the combined treatment method.     

Knowledge Production and Learning for Sustainable Landscapes: Seven Steps Using Social–Ecological Systems as Laboratories

There are multiple challenges regarding use and governance of landscapes’ goods, functions and intangible values for ecosystem health and human well-being. One group of challenges is to measure and assess principal sustainability dimensions through performance targets, so stakeholders have transparent information about states and trends. Another group is to develop adaptive governance at multiple levels, and management of larger geographical areas across scales. Addressing these challenges, we present a framework for transdisciplinary research using multiple landscapes as place-based case studies that integrates multiple research disciplines and non-academic actors: (1) identify a suite of landscapes, and for each (2) review landscape history, (3) map stakeholders, use and non-use values, products and land use, (4) analyze institutions, policies and the system of governance, (5) measure ecological, economic, social and cultural sustainability, (6) assess sustainability dimensions and governance, and finally (7) make comparisons and synthesize. Collaboration, communication and dissemination are additional core features. We discuss barriers bridges and bridges for applying this approach.     

工程案例研究在河湖库环保清淤决策中的重要性 (代序言)

环保清淤是清除河湖库淤积物、削减内源污染负荷、修复受损水生态系统的重要工程措施,从20世纪90年代引入我国以来,已经成为河湖库治理的主要技术手段之一。环保清淤工程技术要求高、投资总额大、涉及方面多,有必要基于已经实施工程案例的启示开展系统性总结分析,进一步提高我国环保清淤工程决策的前瞻性和科学性。本文通过对现有工程案例前期论证、实施过程监测、效果评价、底泥处理处置方法及资源化利用等方面系统总结,讨论了当今具有挑战性的环保清淤决策科技问题,提出了未来工程案例研究应包括的主要发展方向。     

Persistence of two neonicotinoid insecticides in wastewater, and in aqueous solutions of surfactants and dissolved organic matter

Wastewater treatment plants receive organic contaminants, such as pesticides, which reach the sewage system from domestic, industrial or agricultural activities. In wastewater, which is a complex mixture of organic and inorganic compounds, biotic or abiotic degradation of contaminants can be affected by the presence of co-solutes. The photodecomposition in natural sunlight of two neonicotinoid insecticides, thiamethoxam and thiacloprid, was investigated in wastewater, aqueous extracts of sewage sludge and in aqueous surfactant solutions, which are abundant in wastewater. Dissipation in the dark was also studied in wastewater, due to reduction of transmitted sunlight in wastewater ponds. With regard to photolysis, thiamethoxam degraded rapidly in all the aqueous solutions. Among them sewage sludge extracts slightly modified (average half-life 17.6 h), wastewater increased (13.7 h) and non-ionic surfactants led, as a family, to the highest dissipation rates (average 6.2 h), with respect to control water (18.7 h). Additionally this pesticide also underwent a slower biodegradation process in wastewater in the dark under anaerobic conditions (around 25 d). A metabolite of thiamethoxam from the biological decomposition in wastewater was identified by HPLC/MS. On the other hand thiacloprid was found to be resistant to photo- and biodecomposition and remained almost unchanged during the experimental periods in all the tested media.     

资源整合矿区水害探测及防治技术可行性研究

为了研究资源整合后矿区水害探测及防治技术,从山西省矿区设置问题入手,借鉴国内外同类研究进展情况,提出了本文研究对象—一个具有相对独立补给、径流、排泄条件的水文地质单元内所有矿区,提出了六项需要解决的关键技术问题即:引进煤层底板突水预测预报的新方法 -"脆弱性指数法";建立底板突水评价的脆弱性指数模型;煤层顶板突水灾害预测预报的新方法—三图双预测法;采掘前方断层小构造预测预报技术方法;矿井涌(突)水水源快速判别及预测预报;整合后矿区采空区探测问题,并针对以上问题论证了其可行性,提出新的研究思路和新的技术方法。