Water quality of the King Abdullah Canal/Jordan–impact on eutrophication and water disinfection

The King Abdullah Canal (KAC) is an artificial water conveyor serving as raw water source for drinking water supply of Amman and for irrigation purposes in the Jordan Valley. The main water sources for KAC originate from the Yarmouk River, the Mukheiba Wells, and the Peace Conveyor. Water samples were collected from December 2002 to May 2004 to investigate changes in physicochemical parameters and parameters related to eutrophication along KAC. The catchment area of KAC is highly heterogeneous in terms of topography, climate, geologic conditions, and land use, resulting in great variations in the physicochemical composition of the canal water. The Yarmouk River and the Mukheiba Wells reflect the water quality of precipitation without much dissolution of halides, whereas the Peace Conveyor shows a groundwater characteristic. Main dischargers of N and P compounds are the Yarmouk River, and dams and wadis along KAC. The concentrations in the canal are mostly above eutrophication level for N and P. Along KAC there is an increase in chlorophyll a concentration and plankton counts. The formation potentials for trihalomethanes (THMs) and for integrated organically bound halogens are determined by chlorination to evaluate the consequences of water disinfection. Due to relatively high bromide concentration mainly brominated THMs are formed.     

巴黎协定下中国碳排放权省域分配及减排潜力评估研究

通过构建碳排放权区域分配模型完成了省域分配,在此基础上与当前各地实际碳排放量进行比对,明晰了各自初始空间余额;而后对碳排放权欠缺地区的碳减排潜力进行了综合评估。研究结果表明：（1）我国30个省区碳排放权分配存在较大差异,其中云南配额最高,占比高达10.53%;宁夏配额最少,占比仅为0.28%。（2）全国有14个省区碳排放权初始空间余额表现出盈余状态,根据成因差异可大致分为“低排放、高配额”“低排放、低配额”以及“高排放、高配额”等三种类型;其他16个地区均表现出一定程度的欠缺,结合数值差异可划分为以江苏等4地为代表的轻度欠缺地区,以天津等7地为代表的中度欠缺地区,以及以辽宁等5地为代表的重度欠缺地区。（3）浙江、天津、山东等3地目前所具备的碳减排潜力要明显高于其他地区,而各地区的碳减排潜力水平虽与其碳排放权欠缺量表现出了一定趋同性但并非完全一致。     

Adaptive introgression as a resource for management and genetic conservation in a changing climate

Current rates of climate change require organisms to respond through migration, phenotypic plasticity, or genetic changes via adaptation. We focused on questions regarding species’ and populations’ ability to respond to climate change through adaptation. Specifically, the role adaptive introgression, movement of genetic material from the genome of 1 species into the genome of another through repeated interbreeding, may play in increasing species’ ability to respond to a changing climate. Such interspecific gene flow may mediate extinction risk or consequences of limited adaptive potential that result from standing genetic variation and mutation alone, enabling a quicker demographic recovery in response to changing environments. Despite the near dismissal of the potential benefits of hybridization by conservation practitioners, we examined a number of case studies across different taxa that suggest gene flow between sympatric or parapatric sister species or within species that exhibit strong ecotypic differentiation may represent an underutilized management option to conserve evolutionary potential in a changing environment. This will be particularly true where advanced‐generation hybrids exhibit adaptive traits outside the parental phenotypic range, a phenomenon known as transgressive segregation. The ideas presented in this essay are meant to provoke discussion regarding how we maintain evolutionary potential, the conservation value of natural hybrid zones, and consideration of their important role in adaptation to climate.     

Biodegradation modelling of a dissolved gasoline plume applying independent laboratory and field parameters

Biodegradation of organic contaminants in groundwater is a microscale process which is often observed on scales of 100s of metres or larger. Unfortunately, there are no known equivalent parameters for characterizing the biodegradation process at the macroscale as there are, for example, in the case of hydrodynamic dispersion. Zero- and first-order degradation rates estimated at the laboratory scale by model fitting generally overpredict the rate of biodegradation when applied to the field scale because limited electron acceptor availability and microbial growth are not considered. On the other hand, field-estimated zero- and first-order rates are often not suitable for predicting plume development because they may oversimplify or neglect several key field scale processes, phenomena and characteristics. This study uses the numerical model BIO3D to link the laboratory and field scales by applying laboratory-derived Monod kinetic degradation parameters to simulate a dissolved gasoline field experiment at the Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Borden. All input parameters were derived from independent laboratory and field measurements or taken from the literature a priori to the simulations. The simulated results match the experimental results reasonably well without model calibration. A sensitivity analysis on the most uncertain input parameters showed only a minor influence on the simulation results. Furthermore, it is shown that the flow field, the amount of electron acceptor (oxygen) available, and the Monod kinetic parameters have a significant influence on the simulated results. It is concluded that laboratory-derived Monod kinetic parameters can adequately describe field scale degradation, provided all controlling factors are incorporated in the field scale model. These factors include advective–dispersive transport of multiple contaminants and electron acceptors and large-scale spatial heterogeneities.     

Microcystin-LR inhibited hippocampal long-term potential via regulation of the glycogen synthase kinase-3β pathway

We previously demonstrated that Cyanobacteria-derived microcystin-LR (MCLR) is able to induce cognitive dysfunction, but the mechanism is not understood. Long-term potential (LTP) in hippocampus is regarded as an important cellular mechanism of learning and memory. Here, the aim of this study was to evaluate the role of MCLR in LTP of hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) by in vivo electrophysiological recording. We found that MCLR could suppress the induction of LTP in rat hippocampus, whereas simultaneous inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) by LiCl or SB216763 attenuated the LTP impairments by MCLR. Furthermore, a decrease of the phosphorylated level at Ser9 of GSK-3β was observed by western blotting after intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of MCLR, indicating GSK-3β was activated by MCLR. In addition, we showed that ICV administration of MCLR slightly stimulated activity of protein phosphatases (PPs) in the brain, which might activate GSK-3β via dephosphorylation of Ser9 site. Taken together, these findings demonstrated that GSK-3β plays a crucial role in regulating MCLR-induced cognitive deficit.     

Polymer and invert emulsifying oil effects upon droplet size spectra of sprays

Abstract

A series of wind tunnel atomization studies were carried out to investigate the effects of polymer and invert suspension oil “drift control adjuvants” upon the droplet size distribution spectra produced by nozzles typically used in aerial and ground based spraying of pesticides. A D8–46 disc and core was used as a typical aerial application nozzle, and an 8003 fan nozzle was used for the ground based sprayers simulation. The droplet size spectra were evaluated in a wind tunnel using a Malvern 2600 laser particle size analyzer immediately upon mixing and at 15 minutes after re‐circulation through a pumping system. The addition of the polymer‐based adjuvants significantly increased the droplet size spectra parameters of the spray cloud, but all the polymer products showed signs of breakdown of their molecular arrangements in the liquid medium, as a result of agitation. The invert suspension oil adjuvant did not change the droplet size spectra markedly, nor did it show signs of breakdown of the internal liquid structure after re‐circulation.     

闽江口鳝鱼滩芦苇湿地沉积物甲烷产生与氧化潜力对外源物质输入的响应

研究河口湿地沉积物甲烷(CH4)产生和氧化对外源物质输入的响应,对环境保护及温室气体减排具有重要意义.本研究基于室内培养-气相色谱法,探讨了闽江河口半咸水芦苇(Phragmites australis)沼泽湿地沉积物CH4产生与氧化对不同外源物质(底物、电子受体和营养物质)输入的响应.结果表明:CH3OH(500 mg·kg-1)、C3H9N(500 mg·kg-1)和Fe2+(0~500 mg·kg-1)对CH4产生潜力起促进作用(p0.05);NO-3(0~500 mg·kg-1)、NO-2(0~500 mg·kg-1)、Fe3+(50 mg·kg-1)和NH+4(50~500 mg·kg-1)表现为抑制CH4产生潜力(p0.05);而0~50 mg·kg-1的CH3OH和C3H9N、0~500 mg·kg-1的CH3COOH、SO2-4、Mn4+、PO3-4和低剂量的NH+4(0~5 mg·kg-1)对CH4产生的影响不显著(p0.05).实验剂量内(0~500 mg·kg-1),Fe3+和Mn4+的添加可促进CH4氧化(p0.05);CH3COOH、CH3OH、C3H9N、NO-3、NO-2、SO2-4、NH+4和低剂量的PO3-4(0~50 mg·kg-1)对沉积物CH4氧化潜力均有显著的抑制作用(p0.05);而Fe2+对CH4氧化没有显著影响(p0.05).综合分析表明,CH3COOH、CH3OH、C3H9N、NO-3、NO-2、SO2-4、PO3-4、NH+4和Fe2+的输入对沉积物CH4产生和氧化的综合作用为增加CH4排放通量,而Fe3+和Mn4+输入的综合作用则与之相反.     

京津冀地区重污染天气过程的污染气象条件数值模拟研究

通过采用全球再分析格点资料的统计分析和WRF中尺度数值模拟,从天气学和大气边界层气象学角度分析了2013年12月和2014年2月两次重污染过程中京津冀地区天气尺度大气停滞气象条件和大气污染扩散气象条件的特征及其作用,并根据WRF模式精细化模拟结果分析了太行山和燕山对京津冀地区城市大气污染形成的作用.研究结果表明,两次重污染天气过程中京津冀地区500 h Pa等压面上的平均风速均表现为明显的气候异常特征,500 h Pa平均风速较近10年同期分别下降了约30.8%和50.4%,大气停滞系数较近5年同期分别偏高10%和20%以上;京津冀地区发生严重污染时,WRF模式模拟的日平均混合层高度低于200 m,日平均地面10 m风速低于2 m·s-1,日平均通风量可降低到1000 m2·s-1以下,空气质量指数与日平均通风量成负相关,重污染期间的平均通风量比近5年同期平均通风量偏低29.3%~52.8%,这些不利于污染扩散的天气条件持续数日,导致了重污染天气的发生.此外,太行山对西风气流的阻挡是河北中南部地区大气污染加剧的一个重要原因,而当主导风向为偏南风时,偏南气流遇燕山后或转向回流、或爬坡,导致近地面风速减小,不利于污染物扩散,亦加剧了京津冀地区中南部城市的大气污染.     

Anaerobic digestion modeling of the main components of organic fraction of municipal solid waste

The organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) is composed of several heterogeneous organic and inorganic wastes. The diversity of composition, the high volatile solid content and the biodegradable material that this waste offers make it quite an interesting option for anaerobic digestion (AD). Depending on the substrate composition, the biological degradation and kinetics of the AD could vary. Biochemical methane potential (BMP) tests are used as a tool to evaluate the methane production of several fractions of OFMSW, in order to study the influence of each fraction in the final mixture. The kinetic parameters of methane curves and the prediction of final productions are studied by different approaches to model equations using linear, exponential, logistic and Gaussian models. The analyses of the fractions indicate that organic substrates such as meat/fish which are in a small proportion in the final mixture, obtain major productivities (291 ± 3 mlCH₄/gVS), however others such as paper (217 ± 5 mlCH₄/gVS) could have their productivity enhanced due to their high VS present in the final mixture. Both the Gomperzt and the first order model fit reasonably with all the fractions, although substrates with lag phase adjust only to the Gompertz model explaining 99% of the experimental results.     

河道黑臭污染简易评价方法研究

河道黑臭主因是底泥和水体在缺氧乃至厌氧条件下,污染物转化并产生氨氮、硫化氢、挥发性有机酸等恶臭物质以及铁、锰硫化物等黑色物质.目前,河道黑臭评价主要采用多因子黑臭指数法(NH3-N、COD、DO等),但NH3-N、COD难以在现场快速测定,也无法定量袁征底泥黑臭程度.本文选取能够现场快速监测的氧化还原电位ORP作为独立黑臭评价指标,分析论证了ORP与部分黑臭因子DO、S∞、PH、SO4=的相关性,结果表明,ORP与pH、SO42-、DO、S2-相关性较好,可以单独作为水体和底泥黑臭现场监测评价指标,用于入河污水、河道水体与河道底泥黑臭度的现场快速监测和定量评价.