Pb-Al relationships in waterfowl feces discriminate between sources of Pb exposure

Hunted mallards (n = 56) were collected in the Ebro Delta (Spain) in 2007-08 to evaluate the use of feces as a non-invasive monitoring method to study lead shot ingestion. The prevalence of Pb shot ingestion in these birds was 28.6%, and similar to that reported before a ban on Pb shot use in 2003. Lead concentrations in terminal intestinal contents were higher in mallards with Pb shot in their gizzard. Feces Pb concentrations >34 μg/g d.w were indicative of Pb shot ingestion, and background Pb levels were <12.5 μg/g d.w. To discriminate between birds ingesting soil Pb, and those ingesting Pb shot, we correlated Al and Pb levels and showed that mallards with ingested Pb shot in the gizzard stood out as outliers within the regression. Feces Pb-Al relationships can be used as a simple non-invasive tool in monitoring programs regarding Pb shot ingestion in birds.     

涞源县生态县建设的思考

生态县建设指标包含三部分,即经济发展、生态环境保护、社会进步。这三个指标的完成需要政府、企业、公民的共同参与。经济实力弱、发展水平和科技水平较低、生态环境意识差、环境及资源承载能力较低、环境综合治理缺少投入等因素严重制约了涞源县的生态县建设。只有强化组织领导,建立目标责任机制,编制生态县建设规划,重点推动经济现代化建设,加强环境基础设施建设,加强宣传教育,鼓励全民参与生态县建设,才能加快涞源县生态县建设的步伐,最终实现人与自然和谐发展。     

对我国环境行政复议制度的几点思考

现行环境行政复议制度存在的一些不足,阻碍了其在促进环保部门依法行政、维护群众合法环境权益方面作用的发挥,应当扩大享有环境行政复议申请资格的人员范围,规定环境行政复议简易程序,增强复议机构的独立性和提高复议工作人员的综合素质。     

秦皇岛市土壤侵蚀的特点、原因及保护对策

土壤侵蚀是一种危害严重、分布范围广的生态环境问题,影响人与自然的和谐共存,以及各业生产的可持续发展。通过分析秦皇岛市土壤侵蚀特点、原因,提出综合治理土壤侵蚀的对策和措施,以期为今后该区土壤侵蚀防治与治理提供科学依据。     

完善公众参与环境决策机制的法制探讨

公众参与环境决策是一项重要的公众民主权利。我国已经将环境公众参与作为一项重要的环境保护法律制度,但是由于目前我国环保法律制度的不完善,在实施公众参与环境决策机制上存在着诸多问题,本文从法制的角度探讨了公众参与环境决策的理论依据,分析和论证建立适合我国国情的公众参与环境决策制度的主要方式,并提出完善公众参与环境决策制度的建议。     

Recovery of Sediment Characteristics in Moraine,Headwater Streams of Northern Minnesota After Forest Harvest1

Merten, Eric C., Nathaniel A. Hemstad, Randall K. Kolka, Raymond M. Newman, Elon S. Verry, and Bruce Vondracek, 2010. Recovery of Sediment Characteristics in Moraine, Headwater Streams of Northern Minnesota After Forest Harvest. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 46(4): 733-743. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2010.00445.x Abstract: We investigated the recovery of sediment characteristics in four moraine, headwater streams in north-central Minnesota after forest harvest. We examined changes in fine sediment levels from 1997 (preharvest) to 2007 (10 years postharvest) at study plots with upland clear felling and riparian thinning, using canopy cover, proportion of unstable banks, surficial fine substrates, residual pool depth, and streambed depth of refusal as response variables. Basin-scale year effects were significant (p < 0.001) for all responses when evaluated by repeated-measures ANOVAs. Throughout the study area, unstable banks increased for several years postharvest, coinciding with an increase in windthrow and fine sediment. Increased unstable banks may have been caused by forest harvest equipment, increased windthrow and exposure of rootwads, or increased discharge and bank scour. Fine sediment in the channels did not recover by summer 2007, even though canopy cover and unstable banks had returned to 1997 levels. After several storm events in fall 2007, 10 years after the initial sediment input, fine sediment was flushed from the channels and returned to 1997 levels. Although our study design did not discern the source of the initial sediment inputs (e.g., forest harvest, road crossings, other natural causes), we have shown that moraine, headwater streams can require an extended period (up to 10 years) and enabling event (e.g., high storm flows) to recover from large inputs of fine sediment.     

Prymnesium parvum: The Texas Experience1

Southard, Gregory M., Loraine T. Fries, and Aaron Barkoh, 2010. Prymnesium parvum: The Texas Experience. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 46(1):14-23. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2009.00387.x Abstract: Golden alga Prymnesium parvum was first identified in Texas during a fish kill investigation on the Pecos River in 1985. Since then golden alga kills occurred sporadically in a variety of waters in the western part of the state until 2001 when the alga became endemic in the Brazos, Canadian, Colorado, Red, and Rio Grande river systems, including the water supplies of two public fish hatcheries, the Possum Kingdom and Dundee state fish hatcheries. The increasing area adversely affected by the alga and frequent massive fish kills heightened public and political awareness and concerns regarding the ecological and economic impacts of P. parvum blooms. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), the wildlife conservation agency of the state, responded to these concerns with a program to assess the ecological and economic impacts and to develop management options. To date 33 water bodies have been affected and losses are conservatively estimated at 34 million fish valued at US$13 million. Several sport fisheries, including smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu, striped bass Morone saxatilis, channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus, and blue catfish Ictalurus furcatus, have been severely affected. Additionally, 26 imperiled fish species occur in the affected water basins and some have been adversely affected. Economic losses associated with reduced fishing and other water-based recreational activities appear considerable. The combined economic losses to three counties (Palo Pinto, Stephens, and Young) surrounding Possum Kingdom reservoir for 2001 and 2003 were estimated at US$2.8 million and US$1.1 million, respectively. This paper describes how the TPWD responded to public and political concerns relative to the emergence of golden alga, its harmful effects to fisheries, and its historic and current statewide distribution.     

生产者责任延伸制与电子废弃物管理——环境法规

日益增加的固体废弃物和工业废弃物已成为主要的社会问题。回收服务相对来说还很不足,导致很多废弃物只能进行简单的填埋、焚烧处理。这将导致严重的环境污染。借鉴国外一些发达国家废物管理领域的政策趋势,我国近年来出台了一系列关于电子废弃物管理的政策法规,但也暴露出正规的废物处理企业无法取得规模收益,入不敷出,电子废弃物处理基金的征收及补贴对象不明确等诸多问题。引入生产者责任延伸制将外部影响内部化,在理念和功能等方面适应了电子废弃物管理的需要。     

Relation between management's behavioural intentions toward the environment and environmental actions

Drawing on Ajzen's Theory of Planned Behaviour, this paper analyses whether there is a relation between management's behavioural intentions toward an environmental problem and the company's specific actions in this area, and also considers the impact of the company size on these actions. For the data, a questionnaire was sent to 184 managers employed in industrial companies located in Spain which belonged to the automobile industry. The empirical analysis produces positive and significant regression coefficients and provides support for the hypotheses proposed. Specifically, the results show that the environmental actions carried out in the company respond at least in part to management's behavioural intentions toward these issues and the size of the firm.     

建设项目竣工环保验收中公众参与的探讨

建设项目竣工环境保护验收是我国环境保护管理的重要手段。阐述了建设项目竣工环境保护验收中公众参与的法律和制度基础,竣工环保验收中公众参与不仅能维护公众的环境权益,为竣工环保验收“三同时”制度的执行提供可靠依据,还可以推动环保行政主管部门决策的民主化、科学化。研究了竣工环保验收中公众意见调查的现状及存在的问题,提出加强和规范建设项目竣工环保验收公众参与的建议。