Volatile organic compound concentrations, emission rates, and source apportionment in newly-built apartments at pre-occupancy stage

The present study investigated the indoor concentrations of selected volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and formaldehyde and their indoor emission characteristics in newly-built apartments at the pre-occupancy stage. In total, 107 apartments were surveyed for indoor and outdoor VOC concentrations in two metropolitan cities and one rural area in Korea. A mass balanced model was used to estimate surface area-specific emission rates of individual VOCs and formaldehyde. Seven (benzene, ethyl benzene, toluene, m,p-xylene, o-xylene, n-hexane, and n-heptane) of 40 target compounds were detectable in all indoor air samples, whereas the first five were detected in all outdoor air samples. Formaldehyde was also predominant in the indoor air samples, with a high detection frequency of 96%. The indoor concentrations were significantly higher than the outdoor concentrations for aromatics, alcohols, terpenes, and ketones. However, six halogenated VOCs exhibited similar concentrations for indoor and outdoor air samples, suggesting that they are not major components emitted from building materials. It was also suggested that a certain portion of the apartments surveyed were constructed by not following the Korean Ministry of Environment guidelines for formaldehyde emissions. Toluene exhibited the highest emission rate with a median value of 138 μg m⁻² h⁻¹. The target compounds with median emission rates greater than 20 μg m⁻² h⁻¹ were toluene, 1-propanol, formaldehyde, and 2-butanone. The wood panels/vinyl floor coverings were the largest indoor pollutant source, followed by floorings, wall coverings, adhesives, and paints. The wood panels/vinyl floor coverings contributed nearly three times more to indoor VOC concentrations than paints.     

Sustainability in the USA and New Zealand: explaining and addressing the implementation gap in local government

This paper describes the frustrating reality of sustainability implementation in the USA and New Zealand (NZ), an early adopter of sustainability mandates. Local government has a key role in implementation, but has been slow to uptake sustainable practices. We surveyed senior planners in small to medium-sized local government agencies in both countries to identify which features of local government support (or hinder) sustainability in practice.

Environmentally sustainable practices are not well entrenched in either country. In the USA, the framing of sustainability and public support are significant predictors of implementation. However, sustainability is rarely a priority. In NZ, local government capacity is the main driver of implementation. We recommend that planners promote sustainability values, reconcile economic development goals with sustainability (e.g., green economy model), and translate public support for sustainability into institutional priorities. NZ localities also need increased capacity and US localities need continued Federal and State support.     

天津市节能减排绩效及经济效益协调性研究

利用节能绩效-减排绩效关系图,以及节能绩效、减排绩效与经济效益协调关系三角图,研究了2006-2008年天津市17个区县及滨海新区的节能减排绩效关系及其经济协调性状态和趋势.结果如下:①2006-2008年,天津市17个区县及滨海新区的节能减排绩效整体上较差,河西区、西青区、津南区、北辰区、宝坻区、静海县和蓟县的节能减排绩效呈现变差趋势,东丽区和滨海新区(塘沽区、汉沽区和大港区)节能减排绩效很差且无明显变好趋势;其他6个区县的节能减排绩效呈现变好趋势.②2008年,北辰区、武清区、静海县3个区县的经济协调性很强,河西区、河北区、汉沽区、蓟县处于强不经济协调性状态,滨海新区处于弱不协调性状态;2006年,大部分区县(包括滨海新区)处于弱不经济协调性状态,且按强协调趋势发展,其协调性增强主要来自经济效益驱动.③天津市17个区县及滨海新区的节能减排绩效及经济协调性评估权重选择较为合理,能准确地反映节能减排现状.     

滨海新区地表水水质评价与污染源分析

滨海新区在大力发展工业的同时,面临水资源紧缺与水环境恶化等问题,基于2020年至2021年滨海新区内15个监测站位的丰水期、枯水期实测数据,通过改进型加拿大水质指数模型对滨海新区地表水进行水质评价,在水质评价的基础上,利用相关性分析与绝对主成分-多元线性回归模型分析影响地表水水质状况的污染源。15个水质监测站位水质评价结果表明：丰水期水质指数为32.27～82.80,良好水质站位1个,中等水质站位6个,较差水质站位7个,差等水质站位1个;枯水期水质指数为47.28～81.36,良好水质站位1个,中等水质站位12个,较差水质站位2个。污染源分析结果表明：丰水期中,污染源为生活污水、农业面源污染、养殖尾水点源污染;枯水期中,主要污染源为工业废水、生活污水、养殖尾水面源污染。     

雄安新区土壤重金属污染特征及健康风险

为了解雄安新区表层土壤重金属污染特征及潜在生态风险状况,系统采集和分析测试区内土壤样品600件,采用富集因子、地累积指数、综合污染指数、潜在生态危害指数和健康风险评估模型,对土壤重金属污染程度、潜在生态风险和健康风险进行评估.结果表明,各项重金属富集因子(EF)均值小于2,从高至低顺序为Hg>Cd>Cu>Pb>Ni>Z...     

基于机器学习的典型社会安全事件发生规律研究及对雄安新区的启示

针对雄安新区建设和发展过程中对社会安全事件的防控需求,以盗窃作为典型社会安全事件,提出基于机器学习模型的社会安全事件分析预测方法,并以A市2012—2016年的实际盗窃犯罪数据为基础,提取发案时间、发案地点、实施手段和损失金额作为分类特征,通过比较多种机器学习算法,研究盗窃前科人员的预测方法,并根据预测结果挖掘盗窃前科人员的作案规律。研究结果表明:随机森林算法表现最优,查准率、查全率和F1均达到了0.85以上;对于盗窃这一典型社会安全事件,其前科人员倾向于选择下午时段和人流量大的地区实施,盗窃金额明显高于初犯和惯犯。最后,基于前述研究,提出构建数据驱动的社会安全事件预测预警和综合研判系统,并针对该系统的前期建设和后期使用,给出“制定统一的数据格式”、“实现数据实时接入”的建议。相关研究成果可为雄安新区社会安全事件预测预警以及治安防控工作的开展提供参考和借鉴。     

新环境下环境监测质量控制工作思路探析

环境监测质量控制工作具有一定的规范性、强制性,承担着为环境管理部门提供可靠信息数据的重要职责。目前,我国环境监测质量控制工作仍旧存在一定的问题,在"新环境"下,或不能够满足环境监测质量控制要求,所以需要加强对环境监测质量管理工作的理论探究,以为该项工作以及整个环境监测体系提供有价值的参考理论。     

产业园区环保管家专业服务新途径

阐述了环保管家提出的政策背景,详细阐述了环保管家的定义。以工业园区为例,提出以环保管家所提供的服务,并探讨环保管家服务模式的内容及意义。     

Greenhouse gas emissions along the rural-urban gradient

This paper investigates how land use relates to greenhouse gas emissions, using data sources that are readily available to municipal planners. It presents a causal framework linking settlement patterns to greenhouse gas emissions via landscape impacts (deforestation, carbon sequestration by soils and plants, urban heat island), infrastructure impacts (transportation-related emissions, waste management-related emissions, electric transmission and distribution losses) and buildings (residential, commercial). This is not a full accounting because it does not include impacts from industrial activities, agriculture and consumer behavior not related to land use, such as food consumption and air travel. Exploratory case studies of municipalities lying along a gradient of increasing population density suggest that per-capita carbon dioxide emissions vary widely, following an inverted ‘U’ shape, with post-war suburbs riding the pinnacle. Reflecting their central regional roles, municipalities with good jobs-to-housing ratios have higher per-capita emissions because they host both residential and commercial buildings. Buildings typically contribute more emissions than personal transportation. Vehicle-miles traveled per capita shrink most dramatically at very high population densities and where transit options exist. Changing land-use patterns is a political challenge because localism and outdated zoning ordinances subvert regional solutions. Technical fixes, especially green buildings, must be part of the solution.     

Lake variability: key factors controlling mercury concentrations in New York State fish

A 4year study surveyed 131 lakes across New York State beginning in 2003 to improve our understanding of mercury and gather information from previously untested waters. Our study focused on largemouth and smallmouth bass, walleye and yellow perch, common piscivorous fish shown to accumulate high mercury concentrations and species important to local fisheries. Fish from Adirondack and Catskill Forest Preserve lakes generally had higher mercury concentrations than those from lakes in other areas of the state. Variability between nearby individual lakes was observed, and could be due to differences in water chemistry, lake productivity or the abundance of wetlands in the watershed. We found the following factors impact mercury bioaccumulation: fish length, lake pH, specific conductivity, chlorophyll a, mercury concentration in the water, presence of an outlet dam and amount of contiguous wetlands.