电化学强化低能耗废水生物处理技术研究

以碳布为阴阳极材料构建一种新型的生物电化学系统（BES）,研究该系统在不曝气条件下对城市污水的处理效果,并与传统的厌氧和好氧处理方法进行比较。结果表明,该BES处理城市污水是可行的,与传统曝气法相比能够显著降低能耗。在进水CODcr,为350mg／L、NH3-N为15mg／L、水力停留时间（HRT）为24h时,电化学强化生物处理系统对CODcr和NH3-N的去除率达84％和80％,优于同等条件下的厌氧、好氧生物处理方法。BES的输出电压最高为211mV。     

上海市居民生活用能消费碳排放测算与分析研究

根据上海市居民生活能源消费相关的能源消费数据,采用统计分析方法,从最终需求角度评估了2001年-2010年居民生活能源消费及其碳排放。研究发现2001年-2010年上海市居民生活用能碳排放量从173．47万t增长到391．87万t,居民生活用能碳排放量呈较快上升趋势,但总体处于较低水平。居民生活用能消费结构从以原煤和电力为主转变为以油品电力消费为主,原煤天然气综合利用的消费模式。未来一段时期内上海市需要合理拓展居民生活用能排放空间。     

铁阳极电解脱色直接黄11染料模拟废水

研究采用铁为阳极电化学法处理直接黄11染料模拟废水脱色性能的影响进行研究。影响因素包括:电流密度、pH值、染料浓度和电解质浓度。研究结果表明,电流密度大有利于染料废水脱色,但能耗消耗大;初始溶液在中性条件下不仅取得很好的处理效果,而且脱色能耗较低;随着染料初始浓度增加脱色率和脱色能耗降低的趋势;随着电解质浓度升高染料脱色率下降的趋势,脱色能耗先减少,然后缓慢增大。在染料初始浓度50 mg/L、pH值为7.11、电流密度2.083 mA/cm2、电解质Na2SO4浓度0.01 mol/L、温度20℃、搅拌速度600 r/min、电解时间60min条件下,脱色率达到92.2%,脱色能耗1.709 kW.h/kg染料。     

城镇生活污水厂实行清洁生产途径分析

结合企业清洁生产理论,根据污水处理厂实际情况,从“节能、降耗、减排、增效”出发,详细阐述了污水厂实行清洁生产的途径。指出节约电能、新鲜水、药剂,减少污染物排放是污水处理厂清洁生产的主要出发点。并进行实例分析。     

Oxidation inhibition of sulfite in dual alkali FGD system

A laboratory-scale well-mixed thermostatic reactor with continuously blasting air was used to investigate the oxidation inhibition of sulfite in dual alkali flue gas desulfurization （FGD） system. The effects of operating parameters such as pH value and catalyst concentration on the oxidation were studied. Sodium thiosulfate was used in the system, and was found that it significantly inhabited the sulfite oxidation. In the absence of catalyst, sodium thiosulfate at 12.67 mmol/L had an inhibition efficiency of approximately 98%. While in the presence of catalyst, sodium thiosulfate at 26.72 mmol/L had an inhibition efficiency less than 85.0%. The oxidation reaction order of sulfite in the sodium thiosulfate was determined to be -1.90 and 4）.55 in the absence and presence of the catalyst, respectively. Apparent activation energy of oxidation inhibition was calculated to be 53.9 kJ/mol. Pilot tests showed that the consumption rate of thiosulfate agreed well with the laboratory-scale experimental results.     

Integrated strategies to reduce vulnerability and advance adaptation,mitigation, and sustainable development

Determinants of adaptive and mitigative capacities (e.g., availability of technological options, and access to economic resources, social capital and human capital) largely overlap. Several factors underlying or related to these determinants are themselves indicators of sustainable development (e.g., per capita income; and various public health, education and research indices). Moreover, climate change could exacerbate existing climate-sensitive hurdles to sustainable development (e.g., hunger, malaria, water shortage, coastal flooding and threats to biodiversity) faced specifically by many developing countries. Based on these commonalities, the paper identifies integrated approaches to formulating strategies and measures to concurrently advance adaptation, mitigation and sustainable development. These approaches range from broadly moving sustainable development forward (by developing and/or nurturing institutions, policies and infrastructure to stimulate economic development, technological change, human and social capital, and reducing specific barriers to sustainable development) to reducing vulnerabilities to urgent climate-sensitive risks that hinder sustainable development and would worsen with climate change. The resulting sustainable economic development would also help reduce birth rates, which could mitigate climate change and reduce the population exposed to climate change and climate-sensitive risks, thereby reducing impacts, and the demand for adaptation. The paper also offers a portfolio of pro-active strategies and measures consistent with the above approaches, including example measures that would simultaneously reduce pressures on biodiversity, hunger, and carbon sinks. Finally it addresses some common misconceptions that could hamper fuller integration of adaptation and mitigation, including the notions that adaptation may be unsuitable for natural systems, and mitigation should necessarily have primacy over adaptation.

Soil fertility dynamics in runoff-capture agriculture, Canary Islands, Spain

In the extremely arid (∼150 mm yr⁻¹) eastern Canary Islands of Lanzarote, Fuerteventura and La Graciosa, agriculture has been sustained for decades by a traditional runoff-capture (RC) farming system known as “gavias”. Although the main goal of these systems is to increase water supply for crops, making unnecessary conventional irrigation, a secondary and equally important factor is that this system allows for sustainable agricultural production without addition of chemical or organic fertilizers. A field study was conducted to assess the impact of long-term agriculture (>50 yr) on soil fertility and to evaluate key factors affecting the nutrient sustainability of RC agricultural production. Soil fertility and nutrient dynamics were studied through chemical characterization of the arable layer (0-25 cm) of RC agricultural plots, adjacent natural soils (control) not affected by runoff and cultivation, and sediments contributed by a series of RC events. Results showed that RC soils have enhanced fertility status, particularly because they are less affected by salinity and sodicity (mean electrical conductivity = 1.8 dS m⁻¹ vs. 51.0 dS m⁻¹ in control soils; mean exchangeable sodium percentage = 11.1% vs. 30.6% in control soils), and have higher water and nutrient holding capacities (mean clay plus silt contents ≈87% vs. 69% in control soils). In general, sediments transported with the runoff and deposited in RC plots (average sediment yield ≈ 46 ton ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹), contain sufficient nutrients to prevent a progressive reduction of essential plant nutrients below natural levels in spite of nutrient uptake and removal by the harvested crop. Average additions of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium with the runoff sediments were 33.6, 35.3 and 48.8 kg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹, respectively. Results of this study show how a crop production system can be sustained in the long term by natural hydrological and biogeochemical catchment processes. This system maintains a nutrient balance that is not based on energy-intensive inputs of fertilizers, but is integrated in natural nutrient cycling processes, unlike other tropical farming agroecosystems.     

An environmental impact assessment of quantum dot photovoltaics (QDPV) from raw material acquisition through use

Some emerging technologies are expected to be pivotal for solving many of the environmental challenges faced today, especially those related to energy. However, many of these technologies may incur significant environmental impacts over their life cycle, while having environmental benefits during their use. This paper presents results of a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of a proposed type of nanophotovoltaic, quantum dot photovoltaic (QDPV) module. The LCA is confined to the stages of raw materials acquisition, manufacturing, and use. The impacts of QDPV are compared with other types of PV modules and energy sources - both renewable and nonrenewable. To provide a comprehensive comparative assessment, QDPV modules were compared with mature as well as emerging PV types for which data are available. Comparative assessment with other types of energy sources includes coal, oil, lignite, natural gas, diesel, nuclear, wind, and hydropower.QDPV modules may have the potential to overcome two current barriers of solar technology: low efficiencies and high manufacturing costs. If higher efficiencies are realized, QDPV modules could pave the way to large scale implementation of solar energy, helping nations move toward greater energy independence. On the other hand, candidate materials as quantum dots for solar cell applications are mostly compound semiconductors such as cadmium selenide, cadmium telluride, and lead sulfide which may be toxic and for which renewable options are limited. Toxic effects of these materials may be exacerbated by their nanoscale features.The LCA was carried out using the software SimaPro, and the Ecoinvent Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) database supplemented with available literature and patent information. Our results indicate that while QDPV modules have shorter Energy PayBack Time (EPBT), lower Global Warming Potential (GWP), SO_x and NO_x emissions than other types of PV modules, they have higher heavy metal emissions, underscoring the need for investigation of emerging technologies, especially nano-based ones, from a life cycle perspective. QDPV modules are better in all impact categories assessed than carbon-based energy sources but they have longer EPBT than wind and hydropower and higher GWP.     

Assessment of eco-labelling criteria development from a strategic sustainability perspective

To turn current patterns of consumption and production in a sustainable direction, solid and understandable market information on the socio-ecological performance of products is needed. Eco-labelling programmes have an important role in this communication. The aim of this study is to investigate what gaps there may be in the current criteria development processes in relation to a strategic sustainability perspective and develop recommendations on how such presumptive gaps could be bridged. First a previously published generic framework for strategic sustainable development is described and applied for the assessment of two eco-labelling programmes. Data for the assessment is collected from literature and in semi-structured interviews and discussions with eco-labelling experts.The assessment revealed that the programmes lack both an operational definition of sustainability, and a statement of objectives to direct and drive the criteria development processes. Consequently they also lack guidelines for how product category criteria might gradually develop in any direction. The selected criteria mainly reflect the current reality based on a selection of negative impacts in ecosystems, but how this selection, or prioritization, is made is not clearly presented. Finally, there are no guidelines to ensure that the criteria developers represent a broad enough competence to embrace all essential sustainability aspects.In conclusion the results point at deficiencies in theory, process and practice of eco-labelling, which hampers cohesiveness, transparency and comprehension. And it hampers predictability, as producers get no support in foreseeing how coming revisions of criteria will develop. This represents a lost opportunity for strategic sustainable development. It is suggested that these problems could be avoided by informing the criteria development process by a framework for strategic sustainable development, based on backcasting from basic sustainability principles.