Environmental Impacts of the Akosombo Dam and Effects of Climate Change on the Lake Levels

The Akosombo dam was constructed on the Volta river primarily for the generation of hydropower. The resultant Volta lake which was formed between 1962 and 1966 in Ghana will probably long be one of the greatest man-made lakes. It produces 912MW of electricity at its maximum operating capacity. The Akosombo hydroelectric project (HEP) was meant among others to open up Ghana to rapid industrialization and hence modern development. Other positive impacts of the HEP include fishing, farming, transportation and tourism. However, there are equally negative impacts, some of which the project did not envisage and these are felt on the physical, biological and human subsystems within the immediate project environments and places much more distant from them. Recently, there have been declines in the lake levels resulting most probably from inadequate rainfall and/or runoff from the river catchments that feed the lake, and also from the observed rising temperatures. Comparisons of the runoff from two most important tributaries of the Volta (White Volta and Oti) for two time periods of 1951–1970 and 1971–1990 showed reductions in mean streamflows of 23.1% on the White Volta and 32.5% on the Oti. Similarly, a plot of the mean annual temperatures for the upper Volta basin indicated a 1^C rise in temperature from 1945–1993.     

突发性环境污染事故应急监测准备与响应

突发性环境污染事故具有不确定性，因此要求应急监测准备工作常备不懈；应急监测准备和响应贯穿于事前、事发、事后几个阶段，包括日常准备、应急监测、结果发布、跟踪监测、经验总结等主要环节。     

输电线路建设项目水土保持方案编制的几点认识

针对输电建设项目的特点,阐述了输电线路与一般线形建设项目水土保持方案的不同之处,提出了输电线路水土保持方案编制的程序、内容及方法.     

自动监测技术在污染物总量控制监测上的应用

为配合<"九五"期间全国主要污染物排放总量控制计划>的实施,中国环境监测总站与燕化公司环境保护监测站合作,在燕化公司某化工厂排放口设立了水污染物总量控制自动监测技术示范工程.该示范工程采用在线流量计、pH计、COD仪、油监测仪、采样器等监测设备和技术,对水污染物在线自动监测技术进行了多方面的试验,为实施水污染物总量控制的在线自动监测提供了经验.     

Socially robust knowledge in coastal projects

Interactive modes of knowledge production offer a strategy for seeking solutions to complex environmental problems. The outcome of such knowledge production is socially robust knowledge. Social robustness refers to knowledge that is relevant and accepted by actors in the context of its application. This is achieved when knowledge is credible, salient and produced in a legitimate way. To date, only limited research has focused on how social robustness is achieved. As coastal problems are characterised by conflicting interests and major uncertainties, the coastal zone represents a relevant domain for studying socially robust knowledge. This paper analyses and presents three conditions that need to be in place if one is to achieve socially robust knowledge in coastal projects. The conditions are based on theories related to socially robust knowledge, boundary spanning, project arrangements and knowledge arrangements. The conditions specify how social robustness can be achieved through knowledge testing by boundary spanners, the involvement of diverse actors and a close connection between knowledge production and the evolving project. In a case study, these conditions are compared to developments in a Dutch coastal project involving spatial developments near the Ems estuary. The comparison highlights the relevance of the three conditions in achieving socially robust knowledge. In addition, a fourth aspect is empirically uncovered: the role of boundary spanning among project partners prior to producing knowledge. These four conditions clarify how social robustness may be achieved in coastal solutions. As such, this paper contributes to the theoretical and empirical understanding of socially robust knowledge.     

Investigation of Environmental Effects Based on Exergetic Irreversibility for Display Cases’ Units in Commercial Cooling

This study examines energetic and exergetic performances of display cases’ units used in market applications depending on different refrigerants. Besides CO₂ emission potential of each refrigerant based on exergetic irreversibility obtained from analyses is calculated by the method of Total Equivalent Warming Impact (TEWI). In this study, 1 kW cooling capacity and vapor compression cooling cycle is taken as reference and refrigerants of R-22, R-134a, R-404A, and R-507 together with alternative refrigerant R-407C and R152a are examined separately. According to analyses, R-404A gas, used widely in market applications, has low performance with average COP 3.89 and average exergy efficiency 55.20%. R-152a gas has the best performance by the thermodynamics parameters including COP 4.49, exergy efficiency 63.79%, and 0.23 kW power consumption and emission parameter 14097.490 ton CO₂/year. Although COP is used as a criterion to evaluate the systems, this study finally emphasizes the importance of exergy analysis and TEWI method which are important methods to determine irreversibility and emission potential of the systems.     

The integrated project AquaTerra of the EU sixth framework lays foundations for better understanding of river-sediment-soil-groundwater systems

The integrated project "AquaTerra" with the full title "integrated modeling of the river-sediment-soil-groundwater system; advanced tools for the management of catchment areas and river basins in the context of global change" is among the first environmental projects within the sixth Framework Program of the European Union. Commencing in June 2004, it brought together a multidisciplinary team of 45 partner organizations from 12 EU countries, Romania, Switzerland, Serbia and Montenegro. AquaTerra is an ambitious project with the primary objective of laying the foundations for a better understanding of the behavior of environmental pollutants and their fluxes in the soil-sediment-water system with respect to climate and land use changes. The project performs research as well as modeling on river-sediment-soil-groundwater systems through quantification of deposition, sorption and turnover rates and the development of numerical models to reveal fluxes and trends in soil and sediment functioning. Scales ranging from the laboratory to river basins are addressed with the potential to provide improved river basin management, enhanced soil and groundwater monitoring as well as the early identification and forecasting of impacts on water quantity and quality. Study areas are the catchments of the Ebro, Meuse, Elbe and Danube Rivers and the Brévilles Spring. Here we outline the general structure of the project and the activities conducted within eleven existing sub-projects of AquaTerra.     

印制电路板项目竣工验收监测工作探讨

以福建省莆田市为例,研究分析了印制电路板项目竣工环境保护验收监测现场踏勘中存在的问题,提出要加强对项目的现场核查,以及对环保设施建设及运行、建设内容变更、环境风险、危险废物处理等的建议与对策。     

制冷压缩机生产废水处理工程改造实例

某制冷压缩机生产废水处理工程改造项目采用"物化除磷+生物降解+深度处理"组合工艺,处理后的出水达到《城市污水再生利用—城市杂用水水质》(GB/T18920-2002)要求。实践证明,该改造工程具有处理工艺先进、技术参数合理、自动化程度高、系统运行稳定、抗冲击负荷能力强等特点。     

西藏环境信息化基础建设设计实践

描述了西藏环保厅“西藏自治区环境保护厅环境信息化能力建设项目”前期调研、设计的过程,总结在西藏信息化发展基础差、技术人才少、资金投入紧张、稳定性要求高、信息技术发展迅速等现实情况下基础信息化项目建设前期设计特点,为西藏或其他欠发达地区信息化基础建设项目设计提供参考。