Measurement of agricultural total factor productivity growth incorporating environmental factors: A nutrients balance approach

This article proposes to use nutrient-orientated environmental efficiency (EE) measures to construct a nutrient total factor productivity index (NTFP). Since nutrient-orientated EE measures are consistent with the materials balance principle, NTFP index is superior to other existing TFP indexes. An empirical study on the environmental performance of an agricultural sector in 30 OECD countries from 1990 to 2003 yielded several important findings. First, these countries should be able to produce current outputs with at least 50% less aggregate eutrophying power, implying that they should have been able to substantially reduce the potential for eutrophication. Second, traditional TFP has grown by 1.6% per annum due to technical progress; however, there are lags in the responses of several countries to this technical progress. Third, environmental TFP has grown at a slower rate than traditional TFP growth due to reductions in nutrient-orientated allocative efficiency. Finally, changes in input combinations could have significantly improved environmental efficiency and productivity. These findings favor policy interventions and faster technological transfer to improve environmental performance.     

基于通量守恒原理的水质监测非统计不确定性研究

水环境动态监测过程中,结果存在非统计不确定性.以北京市密云水库曹家路小流域安达木河部分汇流河段为研究对象,结合水质和流量数据,分析了单次监测中水质存在的偶然误差下限值,去除其粗大值,以其均值表征动态监测过程中的非统计不确定性.由于研究的汇流河段尺度小,水流经过时间短,迁移转化过程可以忽略,建立的基于通量守恒原理的非统计...     

An inverse model for the analysis of the Venice lagoon food web

A steady-state model of the Venice lagoon food web was constructed, based on a comprehensive set of data, which were collected in the years 2001-2005. Energy flows were estimated by means of an inverse methodology of constrained optimization based on the Minimum Norm criterion, i.e. on the minimization of both the sum of squares of the residuals and of the sum of squares of energy flows. The solution was constrained by a set inequalities, which were derived from general eco-physiological knowledge and site specific data on energy flows. The trophic network was represented by thirty-two nodes, including single-species compartments for the species of high economical or ecological relevance. Mass balance equations were weighted, in order to obtain meaningful results in presence of large differences, up to 5 orders of magnitude, among biomasses. A perturbation technique was applied, with the purpose of reducing the risk of finding solutions heavily affected by the set of constraints and of obtaining a more robust representation of the energy flows. The main patterns of energy flow are consistent with those obtained in previous attempts at modelling the Venice lagoon food web. Micro- and macro-phytobenthos account for the largest fraction of the primary production. Energy is then transferred towards higher trophic levels by means of two main pathways: the recycling of dead biomass through the detritus compartment and the direct consumption by grazers. The first pathway is the most important and accounts for approximately two/thirds of the energy transferred to the second trophic level.     

乌鲁木齐市TSP分布特征及影响因素分析

利用大流量采样器采集了2009年乌鲁木齐市TSP样品,通过对样品和数据的分析处理,揭示了乌鲁木齐市TSP基本特征及影响因素：（1）市北郊、中心城区和南郊山区的TSP质量浓度年均值变化较大,卫星站为0.483 8 mg.m^-3,高于年轮实验室（0.453 6 mg.m^-3）和雷达站（0.227 6 mg.m^-3）,均高于国家年均浓度的二级标准（0.200 0 mg.m^-3）。各区域的TSP有很强的区域性分布特征,地形及能源消费状况是其主要影响因素。（2）雷达站、卫星站和年轮实验室季节平均浓度冬季最高,夏季最低,白杨沟夏季则最高,秋季最低。（3）市区TSP冬半年的月均浓度维持较高水平,受人为影响较小的白杨沟站TSP月均浓度变化很小;采样日TSP质量浓度与当日的气象条件和污染源排放情况有密切联系。（4）TSP质量浓度高于其他北方城市,远高于沿海城市,春季多风沙、冬季燃煤取暖和稳定的大气环境,是造成TSP质量浓度较高的主要因素。     

浙江省合成革行业挥发性有机物污染特征及排放系数

以2015年浙江省175家合成革企业调研数据为基础,分析当前浙江省合成革行业挥发性有机物(VOCs)污染治理情况,通过研究筛选出161家重点企业,分析合成革行业污染基本排放特征并计算其VOCs排放系数.结果表明,绝大部分企业对废气采取治理措施,但聚氨酯(PU)后处理工艺没有废气收集和处理设施;绝大部分企业使用的是溶剂型原辅材料,废气中VOCs的主要污染因子为二甲基甲酰胺(DMF)、甲苯、乙酸甲酯、丙酮、乙酸乙酯和丁酮等物质;全省合成革行业的VOCs排放系数均值为0. 168 kg·m~(-2).其中聚氨酯平均排放系数0. 170 kg·m~(-2),聚氯乙烯(PVC)排放系数为0. 142 kg·m~(-2);聚氨酯湿法工艺排放系数均值为0. 191 kg·m~(-2),聚氨酯干法工艺VOCs排放系数均值为0. 179 kg·m~(-2),聚氨酯后处理工艺VOCs排放系数均值为0. 120 kg·m~(-2).     

基于CA-气团模型的市内重气扩散模拟与研究

针对市区内的固定地点出现重气泄露,并在街区内近地扩散的事实,构造了基于细胞自动机(Cellular automata)-气团模型,用以进行上述情况模拟.将气体的宏观扩散等效视为多个气团,使用细胞自动机生成气团的运动模型.将气团的特征表示为Qi(→V0i,xi,yi),参考高斯模型确定影响半径D用以区分浓度梯度扩散Sd和自由扩散Sf,并构造了边界接触条件.假设了模拟的市内环境,使用该模型在大气稳定状态下模拟氨气扩散.结果表明:气团的扩散符合实际情况,其在某区域的个数可以代表该区域重气浓度.模拟过程中也表现出了传统模型不具备的扩散特征,这些特征与重气的实际扩散过程更为相近,从而便于逃生和灾害控制.     

气体质量流量控制器在汽车VOC检测领域的应用

汽车挥发性有机物组分(VOC)检测过程中,充气和采气体积的计量对检测结果的影响尤为突出.通过气体质量流量控制器与目前VOC检测中常用的恒流气体采样装置的比较,表明在同样满足VOC检测标准要求的情况下,气体质量流量控制器在排除环境干扰等方面体现出更好的稳定性,更有利于汽车VOC检测准确度的提高.     

Effect of Flow Depth and Velocity on Nitrate Loss Rates in Natural Channels1

Carleton, James N. and Yusuf M. Mohamoud, 2012. Effect of Flow Depth and Velocity on Nitrate Loss Rates in Natural Channels. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 1‐12. DOI: 10.1111/jawr.12007 Abstract: Loss rates of nitrate from streams and rivers are governed by movement of the ion from water column to anoxic bed sediments. Quantitative representations of nitrate in streams and rivers have often treated such losses as governed by first‐order mechanisms that are invariant with respect to potential modulating factors other than temperature. Results of studies in recent years, however, suggest that rates of water column‐sediment mass transfer are influenced by stream geometry and associated hydraulics. We develop expressions for the instream nitrate loss rate coefficient, k, as a function of water velocity and depth, using hydraulic geometry to empirically relate velocity to depth for two cases: (1) variability in mean conditions among reaches; and (2) temporal variability in conditions at a single reach, under changing flow. The result is expressions for k as functions of water column depth. Measured stream k values reported in the literature are shown to be well represented by expressions developed for the first case, and the potential for application to probabilistic analysis is briefly examined. We explore the latter case using the Hydrologic Simulation Program – FORTRAN (HSPF) model, modified to incorporate the dependence of k on instantaneous stream depth. In example simulations of two nitrate‐exporting watersheds, the incorporation of depth‐dependence of k produces improvement in the model’s ability to match observed stream nitrate concentrations.     

Assessing Calibration Uncertainty and Automation for Estimating Evapotranspiration from Agricultural Areas Using METRIC

Agricultural irrigation accounts for a large fraction of the total water use in the western United States. The Mapping Evapotranspiration at high Resolution with Internalized Calibration (METRIC) remote sensing energy balance model is being used to estimate historical agricultural water use in western Nevada to evaluate basin‐wide water budgets. Each METRIC evapotranspiration (ET) estimate must be calibrated by a trained user, which requires some iterative time investment and results in variation in ET estimates between users. An automated calibration algorithm for the METRIC model was designed to generate ET estimates comparable to those from trained users by mimicking the manual calibration process. Automated calibration allows for rapid generation of METRIC ET estimates with minimal manual intervention, as well as uncertainty and sensitivity analysis of the model. The variation in ET estimates generated by the automated calibration algorithm was found to be similar to the variation in manual ET estimates. Results indicate that uncertainty was highest for fields with low ET levels and lowest for fields with high ET levels, with a seasonal mean uncertainty of approximately 5% for all fields. In addition, in a blind comparison, automated daily and seasonal ET estimates compared well with flux tower measurement ET data at multiple sites. Automated methods can generate first‐order ET estimates that are similar to time intensive manual efforts with less time investment.     

Mass-transfer processes of chromium(VI) adsorption onto guava seeds

The chromium(VI) biosorption onto guava seeds, as an alternative method for Cr⁶⁺ removal from aqueous solutions, was investigated. The parameters affecting kinetics and equilibrium of Cr⁶⁺ adsorption onto guava seeds were studied. An external mass-transfer diffusion coefficient k and intra-particle diffusion coefficient k_i were determined to measure the rate-limiting step of adsorption. A single external mass-transfer diffusion model and intra-particle diffusion models were used. The effects of initial pH, sorbent mass, and initial Cr⁶⁺ concentrations on mass-transfer coefficients were investigated. The external mass-transfer coefficient has an average value of 7.2×10^-3 cm s^-1, while the intra-particle mass-transfer diffusion coefficient was 0.34 mg g^-1 min^-0.5. This indicates that external diffusion to the guava seeds surface and intra-particle diffusion are both involved in the sorption process. The isotherm equilibrium data were well fitted by the Langmuir and Freundlich models with an average correlation coefficient R²=0.98. The maximum removal of Cr⁶⁺ was obtained at pH 1 (about 100% for adsorbent dose of 15 g l^-1 and 25 mg l^-1 initial concentration of Cr⁶⁺). The results indicated that the guava seeds exhibit acceptable sorption capacity.