Chronic Toxicity of 1080 and its Implications for Conservation Management: A New Zealand Case Study

Sodium monofluoroacetate (1080) is a mammalian pesticide used in different parts of the world for the control of mammalian pest species. In New Zealand it is used extensively and very successfully as a conservation management tool for the control of brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) – an introduced marsupial that has become a substantial agricultural and conservation management pest. Possums pose a threat to cattle farming in New Zealand as they are a vector for bovine tuberculosis. In protected natural areas, possum browsing is responsible for large scale defoliation of native vegetation. As with many other pesticides, there has been some degree of popular concern about the use of this toxin and its safety, with particular reference to non-target effects. These concerns have been associated with potential non-target effects on human health, and the health of animals of recreational value (e.g., hunting dogs and game animals). This has led to the development of a strong “anti-1080” lobby in New Zealand. In contrast, this study encompasses a science-based risk analysis focusing on the potential risks to non-target native wildlife with a particular focus on chronic toxicity. It finds that there is evidence that 1080 may have endocrine disrupting capabilities (with potential relevance for non-target wildlife) but that this still needs more detailed investigation. This can be clarified by further targeted research. Further research is also needed to test the degradation rates of 1080 and its breakdown products at ecologically-relevant temperatures (i.e., winter stream temperatures – below 11 °C). Such research may demonstrate that some adjustment to 1080 risk management is warranted in New Zealand, or it may help to put to rest the current controversy over the use of this cost effective conservation management tool.     

Environmental Indicators of Habitat Quality in a Migratory Freshwater Fish Fauna

/ In general, diadromous (and particularly amphidromous and catadromous) freshwater fishes decline in frequency of occurrence, change age/size structure, and probably also decline in abundance with increasing elevation and distance upstream from the sea. In freshwater fish faunas with a high proportion of migratory species, as in New Zealand, these changes in occurrence and abundance result in a breakdown of the relationship between fish abundance and habitat quality, making application of the index of biotic integrity (IBI) as a measure of habitat quality problematical since the index depends on the relationship between population metrics and habitat quality. An alternative approach applicable to assessing temporal changes in habitat quality and that uses a large database on fish distributions, involves analysis of the distribution of species across their natural distributions. In this paper we generate curves of occurrence of species across ranges of altitude and distance inland and show, through comparisons of data subsets, that the curves are consistent estimators of species' occurrence and therefore useful as indicators of habitat quality.     

滨海化工区水污染物排放现状与减排潜力分析

化工产业是天津滨海新区重要的支柱产业,该行业废水因污染种类复杂,具有高盐、高毒、难降解等特点,是滨海新区污染物控源减排的主要威胁。通过对滨海化工区水污染物排放现状与减排潜力进行分析研究,得知化学原料及化学制品制造业在石化行业中耗水量最大,占石化行业总新鲜水消耗量的70.3%～80%;其废水、COD和氨氮的排放量最高;除橡胶和塑料制品业外,其他3个行业废水排放量逐年减少;滨海新区化工行业万元工业增加值水耗与全国及天津市相比存在一定差距,有较大的减排潜力;从其未来发展趋势来看,近期仍将是以污染末端治理为主要途径。但从远景来看,在生产环节减少外排污水量,大力推广清洁生产机制,建立企业间废水的循环利用模式才是其必然归宿。     

资源与环境约束下的滨海新区海洋经济可持续发展途径

滨海新区资源丰富,经济规模不断扩大,呈现出良好的发展趋势,但也面临资源利用不合理、环境污染严重等问题.在分析天津滨海新区海洋经济发展现状和优势的基础上,探讨了该区域面临的资源与环境约束问题,并对这些问题进行了原因剖析,主要原因包括缺少科学规划引导、管理矛盾突出等.最后从建立环境与经济持续发展的综合决策机制、直接管制与间...     

相关方HSE管理工作探讨

近年来,中石油集团公司发生了多起安全事故,而相关方事故占有相当大的比例.本文以中石油集团下属的新世纪机械制造公司相关方HSE管理为例,详细阐述了相关方HSE管理前期存在的问题以及后期HSE管理的改进措施,并探讨了相关方管理工作的全新方法,以为强化相关方的HSE管理提供参考.     

Voluntary Pollution Prevention Programs in New Zealand - An evaluation of practice versus design features

Coordinated voluntary approaches to Pollution Prevention are widely practiced in many western-style economies. However, little empirical research has been undertaken into the extent to which these approaches match best practice pollution prevention approaches. In this paper nine programs employed by five regional and district councils in New Zealand are evaluated against nine ‘Best Practice’ design features. All five councils’ pollution prevention programs contained some of the best practice design features in their program’s design. Perhaps not surprisingly the older programs rank highest out of the five. However, all programs have the potential to develop towards containing all of the ‘best practice’ design features, with most emphasis needed on the credibility of program monitoring. From an ongoing research perspective, and also from an overall PP program performance point of view, the biggest challenge remains the extent and depth that the programs apply each of the design features. As presented they are extremely generic. While generic design features provide for flexibility in implementation, often seen as a positive, they can also be a recipe for ‘tokenism’, something that future researchers and program managers need to be aware of. We also sought to determine if these programs were contributing to sustainable management in New Zealand. Findings in this respect were equivocal. This finding in part is due to the lack of specificity around targets, monitoring and reporting, items needing further attention from managers and researchers.     

如何利用水环境资源承载力确定城市规模研究——以天府新区为例

以水环境承载力的概念及内涵为基础,研究了天府新区规划初期水资源可持续利用的条件,并基于最大纳污量计算了可承载的区域人口和社会经济规模,为天府新区的区域整体发展规划提供依据.在天府新区新的发展目标下,论述了消除或缓解水资源的压力措施,即:改善和提高水资源管理水平甚至宏观社会经济决策水平,改善当地水资源承载状态,提高当地水资源系统对未来社会、经济、人口和生态环境的承载力.     

沿海地区土地利用格局变化对近岸海域环境的影响研究——以滨海新区为例

以天津市滨海新区为例,利用遥感影像分析其1984年-2008年间土地利用变化,并讨论其驱动力及对渤海湾的影响.结果表明:从1984年-2012年间,盐地减少342.95 km2,建设用地的面积增加1 105.04 km2.发生这种转变的驱动力主要是人口增加、经济发展和土地政策调整.土地利用类型的转变导致人为活动方式发生改变,工业迅速发展,最终导致渤海湾沉积物中营养盐含量和重金属含量增加.     

Regulatory failures,split-incentives,conflicting interests and a vicious circle of blame: the New Environmental Governance to the rescue?

This paper addresses a current trend of New Environmental Governance (NEG). It examines whether NEG is able to overcome a series of complex regulatory barriers and market shortfalls that stand in the way of carbon emissions reductions in the building sector. Building on an evaluation of 20 NEG arrangements from Australia and the Netherlands, it discusses the limits of the effective implementation and use of NEG in this sector. The paper concludes by suggesting three strategies to improve the performance of NEG arrangements in the building sector.     

天津滨海某化工园区废水预处理去毒技术研究

化工产业是天津滨海新区重要的支柱产业,该行业废水因污染种类复杂,具有高盐、高毒、难降解等特点,是滨海新区污染物控制的主要威胁。通过对滨海某化工区实际废水进行几种主流预处理技术及其组合工艺的研究,明晰了其在实验条件下各自的特点,验证了其实际处理效果,进一步掌握了其反应过程中的特性,为研究后续的示范工程应用及大规模推广打下基础。实验表明,制药废水经内电解处理后毒性削减率最高可达到46%,对化学合成废水有较好的去毒效果,该技术可有效地提高制药废水的可生化性;光催化氧化对苯胺和氯苯的最佳降解条件分别是15 g/L TiO(23 h)及17.5 g/L TiO2;负载型纳米铁和纳米四氧化三铁催化剂分别适合极酸和中性、偏碱性条件,催化效率高,COD去除效果好。