Inclusion of people with disabilities,their needs and participation,into disaster management: a comparative perspective

In the field of disaster management, not many have considered the role and needs of people with disabilities despite their number and condition. The purpose of this paper is to push for specific inclusion of people with disabilities, their needs and participation, into disaster management by studying relevant cases from Indonesia, Korea, and the USA. Qualitative content analysis was used as a major methodology by comparing three factors identified in these nations: government policies, schools and advocacy groups’ efforts, and families and local communities’ awareness. Three models, one from each country, were considered major takeaways from this study: the Indonesian moral inclusion, the Korean medical treatment without exclusion, and the US’ extending social inclusion. In addressing the needs and participation of people with disabilities in disaster management, the following recommendations are put forward: for Indonesia, a move away from olden beliefs and misconceptions on disability (e.g. as a punishment) is imperative. In Korea, relevant fundamental laws (e.g. the Basic Act on Emergency and Safety Management) need to be revised while also studying advanced laws on the subject. For the USA, though the country is already advanced, overall improvement is still needed in terms of association with international non-governmental organizations, increase in the number of (emergency or disaster) response officials, and provision of better medical treatment.     

Assessment of the Effectiveness of Environmental Dredging in South Lake,China

Environmental dredging is a primary remedial option for removal of the contaminated material from aquatic environment. Of primary concern in environmental dredging is the effectiveness of the intended sediment removal. A 5-year field monitoring study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of the environmental dredging in South Lake, China. The concentrations of total nitrogen (TN), total phosphors, and heavy metals (Zn, Pb, Cd, Cu, Cr, Ni, Hg, and As) before and after dredging in sediment were determined and compared. Multiple ecological risk indices were employed to assess the contamination of heavy metals before and after dredging. Our results showed that the total phosphorus levels reduced 42% after dredging. Similar changes for Hg, Zn, As Pb, Cd, Cu, Cr, and Ni were observed, with reduction percentages of 97.0, 93.1, 82.6, 63.9, 52.7, 50.1, 32.0, and 23.6, respectively, and the quality of sediment improved based on the criterion of Sediment Quality Guidelines by USEPA and contamination degree values (C_d) decreased significantly (paired t-test, p < 0.05). Unexpectedly, the TN increased 49% after dredging compared to before dredging. Findings from the study demonstrated that the environmental dredging was an effective mechanism for removal of total phosphorus and heavy metals from South Lake. Nevertheless, the dredging was ineffective to remove total nitrogen from sediment. We conclude that the reason for the observed increase in TN after dredging was likely ammonia release from the sediment impairing the dredging effectiveness.     

苏南快速城镇化区域典型河道入河污染物调查分析与估算

针对快速城镇化区域产业快速发展、人口高度密集与排水设施建设滞后间的突出矛盾,以苏州官渎里区域的典型重污染河道——官渎花园内河为研究对象,在分析区域排污特征的基础上,系统总结点污染源、面污染源和内污染源在该类区域的具体表现形式和影响因素,对各类污染物入河量进行调查测算.根据测算结果,官渎花园内河的CODcr、NH3-N、TN和TP年入河量分别为222.54、11.16、16.63和2.56t·a-1.对各污染源贡献率的分析结果表明,工业污染和生活污染为主要污染源,其次为降雨径流污染.在上述测算分析的基础上,结合苏南快速城镇化区域发展特点,提出了若干河道污染控制的对策与建议.     

南水北调中线水源地不同植被类型坡地土壤水分特征研究

为了解不同植被类型土壤水资源的变化规律，选择南水北调中线水源区宁陕县寨沟区域典型植被针阔混交林、针叶林、板栗林、灌木林、荒坡草地和坡耕地为研究对象，通过样地调查与实验分析的方法对其土壤水分物理特征及有机质含量进行测定研究。结果表明，各种有林地的土壤容重、孔隙度和有机质等理化特征均优于荒坡和坡耕地；针阔混交林土壤含水量最高，蓄水能力明显好于其它植被类型；在垂直剖面上，各种植被类型坡地土壤含水量和饱和蓄水量随土壤深度的增加基本呈递减趋势，但有林地下降幅度较大，表层含水量明显高于荒坡与坡耕地表层。由此可见，在涵养水源方面，针阔混交林最好，针叶林、板栗林与灌木林次之，荒坡与坡耕地较差。     

改性生物质电厂灰钝化修复南方镉污染土壤及其长效性研究

选取我国南方生物质发电厂的灰渣为原料,经物理和化学改性制成重金属钝化剂,针对我国南方重金属Cd污染的土壤开展钝化修复研究.底灰中Cd等重金属含量明显低于其对应的飞灰,这是选择底灰作原料的重要原因.用其制备的BFA型钝化剂在水中对Cd的吸附量可达16mg/g以上.室内盆栽试验中,添加土壤干重1%的钝化剂,第一季稻米Cd含量降低80%以上,从超标2.8倍降至达标;第二季小麦籽粒Cd降低70%,从超标0.9倍降至达标.在我国南方Cd重度污染的农田中开展的原位修复试验表明,添加1%的钝化剂,稻米和小麦籽粒中Cd降低70%~90%,其中稻米Cd持续降低,2017年降低率相较2016年继续提升10%~20%,最终从超标20倍降至达标;Ni降低60%以上,且保留有益的Cu、Zn元素不受明显影响;此BFA型钝化剂还能促进作物生长,第一季稻米产量提高40%~60%,第二季仍有一定的增长效果.综合安全性考虑,我国南方生物质电厂的灰渣重金属含量很低,经过改性加工可制成安全高效的重金属钝化剂.可为钝化修复我国南方重金属污染农田提供一种经济有效的方法,也为现阶段难以处置的灰渣提供一个重要的利用途径.     

南海西部富颗石柱状样的矿物学特征

颗石藻生物矿化作用形成的方解石质颗石化石富含地球化学信息,是古海洋研究的理想材料,而典型样品的获取及其矿物学研究是前提与基础。选取南海西部越南岸外夏季上升流区MD05-2901孔柱状样,通过颗石分布特征、生源组分、矿物物相和红外光谱等矿物学特征研究,探讨了颗石化石关联的沉积环境信息,进而探索了古海洋研究的新思路和方法。结果显示：南海西部MD05-2901孔柱状样从顶部到底部（随着深度的增大）颗石化石含量具有表层较高、中部含量最高、底部含量少的分布特征;有机碳含量在1.19%—2.78%,平均含量为1.99%,随深度的增加逐渐减小;以颗石为主的碳酸钙质无机碳含量在0.85%—1.65%波动,平均含量为1.12%,变化呈现较明显的周期性,与颗石的分布特征有强相关性;柱状样C/N分析表明这一时期沉积物主要为海洋自生沉积。富颗石沉积样品矿物物相主要含有方解石、伊利石、蒙脱石、绿泥石、高岭石,以及少量石英等。FTIR分析表明蒙脱石中可能吸附有机质,值得矿物学家深入研究。颗石藻沉积环境的矿物学特征富含沉积信息,为古海洋研究提供了新的研究途径。     

瀑河水库蓄水后水质变化预测

瀑河水库拟作为南水北调中线的一个调蓄水库。在瀑河水库淹没区内布10个采样点，分别采集0－20、20－40、40－60cm深度的土壤，实验室中模拟水库蓄水淹没情景，连续监测“库水”水质，试验表明：蓄水初期土壤中营养物质溶出对库水水质有一定影响，且随着时间的推移，各营养物质溶出的速度及浓度变化不同，蓄水16天后浓度趋于平稳，库水水质达到地表水环境质量Ⅱ类标准，将模拟值作为初始值，利用WQRRS模型进行运行期水质预测，得到结论为：（1）当调水水质为Ⅰ和Ⅱ类标准值的中值、流域汛期径流水质为Ⅱ－Ⅴ类时，预测库水水质为Ⅱ－Ⅲ类；（2）当调水水质为Ⅱ类标准值的下限值、流域汛期径流水质为Ⅱ－Ⅴ类时，预测库水水质大多为Ⅲ类，部分情况下为Ⅳ类，且N、P超标；（3）当调水水质为Ⅰ和Ⅱ类标准值的中值、流域径流水质为Ⅱ类时，在2010、2020和2030水平年水库水质全部为Ⅱ类；当调水水质为Ⅱ类标准值的下限值时库水水质则为Ⅲ类。     

Seeing the wood for the trees: the role of woody resources for the construction of gender specific household cultural artefacts in non-traditional communities in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

There is a growing wealth of data capturing the direct-use values of the environment and recognition of forests and wild resources as representing “the poor manȁ9s overcoat”. This focus has however resulted in an emphasis on the utilitarian values of wild resources for rural livelihoods and has for the most part overlooked their cultural values. In tangent to these developments within the field of anthropology there has been increased attention directed towards the relationship between biodiversity and human diversity over the past decade. This has resulted in the recognition of what the Declaration of Belem calls an ȁ8inextricable linkȁ9 between biological and cultural diversity. The term bio-cultural diversity has been introduced as a concept denoting this link. Consequently there is a need for more elaborate assessments of the various ways in which different groups of people find value in biodiversity. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the cultural significance of wild harvested plant resources for the maintenance of two gender specific cultural artefacts for amaXhosa people in South Africa, to assess the persistence of these practices in rapidly modernizing communities. We demonstrate the endurance of these ancient cultural artefacts in present-day peri-urban communities and suggest that they point to the need for improved understanding of the significance of bio-cultural diversity. The findings of the study should not be interpreted as illustrating stagnation in the traditional past, but rather as pointing at the need for improved understanding of the significance of bio-cultural diversity in a dynamic sense.     

In-situ electrochemical measurements of total concentration and speciation of heavy metals in acid mine drainage (AMD): assessment of the use of anodic stripping voltammetry

We assessed the use of anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV) for in-situ determinations of both total concentration and speciation of dissolved heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn) in acid mine drainage (AMD). In the Kwangyang Au–Ag mine area of South Korea, different sites with varying water chemistry within an AMD were studied with a field portable anodic stripping voltammeter. Anodic stripping voltammetry after wet oxidation (acidification) was very sensitive enough to determine total concentration of dissolved Cd because Cd was dominantly present as ‘labile’ species, whilst the technique was not so effective for determining total Cu especially in the downstream sites from the retention pond, due to its complexation with organic matter. For dissolved Pb, the concentrations determined by ASV after wet oxidation generally agreed with those by ICP-AES. In the downstream samples (pH>5), however, ASV data after wet oxidation were lower than ICP-AES data because a significant fraction of dissolved Pb was present in those samples as ‘inert’ species associated with colloidal iron oxide particles. The determination of total dissolved Zn by ASV after wet oxidation appeared to be unsatisfactory for the samples with high Cu content, possibly due to the interference by the formation of Zn–Cu intermetallic compounds on the mercury coated electrode. In AMD samples with high dissolved iron, use of ultraviolet irradiation was not effective for determining total concentrations because humate destruction by UV irradiation possibly resulted in the removal of a part of dissolved heavy metals from waters through the precipitation of iron hydroxides.     

Changes in earth’s dipole

The dipole moment of Earth’s magnetic field has decreased by nearly over the past 150 years and by about 30% over the past 2,000 years according to archeomagnetic measurements. Here, we explore the causes and the implications of this rapid change. Maps of the geomagnetic field on the core–mantle boundary derived from ground-based and satellite measurements reveal that most of the present episode of dipole moment decrease originates in the southern hemisphere. Weakening and equatorward advection of normal polarity magnetic field by the core flow, combined with proliferation and growth of regions where the magnetic polarity is reversed, are reducing the dipole moment on the core–mantle boundary. Growth of these reversed flux regions has occurred over the past century or longer and is associated with the expansion of the South Atlantic Anomaly, a low-intensity region in the geomagnetic field that presents a radiation hazard at satellite altitudes. We address the speculation that the present episode of dipole moment decrease is a precursor to the next geomagnetic polarity reversal. The paleomagnetic record contains a broad spectrum of dipole moment fluctuations with polarity reversals typically occurring during dipole moment lows. However, the dipole moment is stronger today than its long time average, indicating that polarity reversal is not likely unless the current episode of moment decrease continues for a thousand years or more.