Greening Leviathan: the rise of the environmental state?

‘Bringing the state back in’ to research on comparative, inter-, and trans-national environmental politics and policy will contribute to better understanding of the limits and prospects of contemporary approaches to environmental politics and the overall evolution of contemporary states once environmental issues become central. The rationale for the state as an analytical perspective in environmental policy and politics is explained, and an empirically oriented concept of the environmental state is introduced, along with a tentative sketch of its evolution in historical perspective. A research agenda on the environmental state is mapped out, centring around variation and convergence in environmental states across space and time; the political/economic dynamics of contemporary environmental states; and inter-linkages among environmental problems, the constitution of political communities, and the functioning of the public power. In conclusion, the ways in which the contributions to this volume address that research agenda are introduced.     

国内外不同尺度的旱灾风险评价研究进展

作为旱灾风险管理实践的科学基础,旱灾风险评价愈来愈受到社会各界的广泛关注。在阅读大量文献的基础上,从4个不同的区域尺度对国内外旱灾风险评价研究进展作了综述。结果表明:(1)目前所有区域尺度研究中,农业旱灾风险评价研究较多;(2)地区尺度的旱灾风险评价是研究其他尺度的切入点,可为实现空间尺度上推(全球和国家尺度)和下推(县乡农户尺度)旱灾风险评价结果的转换提供依据;(3)随空间尺度从全球和大洲→国家→地区→地方尺度,旱灾风险评价的文献量逐渐增多,内容逐渐深入;(4)旱灾风险对饥荒和粮食安全的影响、农业系统和农作物承灾体的旱灾风险评价是目前研究的热点。在此基础上,指出旱灾发生频率较低但生态环境敏感区的旱灾风险评价需加强;从干旱灾害链的角度以及综合旱灾风险与脆弱性、恢复性、适应性的关系来研究旱灾风险是今后的重点。     

缅甸若开邦农村地区饮用水现状及安全保障对策

以东南亚国家缅甸的若开邦农村地区为研究对象,分析该地区饮用水存在的主要问题,并结合当地实际情况提出了可行的安全保障对策。实地考察发现：水塘是缅甸若开邦农村地区主要的饮用水水源;然而,若开邦地处热带,雨季降雨量巨大且集中,旱季持续时间长,水分蒸发量较大,水塘水量时间分布极不均匀,导致该地区水塘旱季时供水严重不足;雨季水塘水浊度、色度偏高,旱季铝、锰、铁等离子有超标现象;水塘普遍缺少生态拦截和防护措施,亦疏于维护,不能有效地阻隔周边的面源污染,导致当地水塘水质存在严重的安全隐患。结合当地社会经济发展水平和村民生活习惯,提出了适于热带地区干湿强烈交替气候特点的“塘-沟-植被缓冲带”生态水塘方案。采用多级屏障手段发挥生态水塘系统对地表和亚表层径流的生态过滤效应,从而增加储水空间,扩大水源涵养容量,强化水体自净功能,再搭配低维护、低能耗的净水工艺,可从水量和水质2个方面保障当地饮用水安全。提出了小而美的生态净化技术,可为其他有类似饮用水问题的国家和地区提供参考。     

应用动态模型确定酸沉降临界负荷的探讨

任何一个天然生态系统都是一个稳定系统.在一定酸沉降量的作用下,生态系统最终会平衡在一个新的稳定状态.动态模型可以模拟不同酸沉降量下生态系统化学状态的变化趋势.根据信号与系统理论,这种趋势可以用一阶指数衰减函数进行模拟,以得到系统达到稳定状态时的化学指标值.根据不同酸沉降量和所对应的稳态化学指标值之间的剂量-响应曲线,可以求出当系统稳态化学指标值达到临界化学值时的酸沉降量,即为系统的酸沉降临界负荷.应用这种方法,以MAGIC模型为例,计算了四川峨眉山顶水和重庆南山湖泊的硫沉降临界负荷,分别为1.54和6.5     

不同环境体系下锂离子电池热失控特性实验研究

针对锂离子电池热失控引发的航空运输安全问题,自主设计并搭建锂离子电池热失控灾害演化及危险性分析实验平台。在敞开和密封环境体系下,对电加热触发荷电量(State of Charge,SOC)为0%、50%和100%的18650型锂离子电池热失控规律进行了实验研究。观察单体锂离子电池在敞开和密封体系中的热失控现象,并记录单体锂离子电池热失控时间、温度峰值及相应的温度变化。数据结果显示,相比敞开体系,密封体系有效的延缓了锂离子电池发生热失控的时间,并降低了锂离子热失控时释放的能量,为锂离子电池的航空运输安全性研究提供了理论依据和工程技术参考。     

Eutrophication development and its key regulating factors in a water-supply reservoir in North China

Yanghe Reservoir is an important source of drinking water for Qinhuangdao City,North China;however,in recent decades this water source has been eutrophic with recurrent summer cyanobacterial blooms.The trophic grade of the system in summer was mesotrophiceutrophic in 1990 and became hypertrophic in 2011.The nutrient availability is extremely high during the entire year,and the water temperature should be the primary driver of the summer blooms.In May-October of 2010 and 2011,abrupt variations were observed in the Secchi depth(SD) and chlorophyll a(Chl-a),and both the correlated analysis of Chl-a-SD and trophic status indices(TSI) deviation(TSI Chl-a-TSI SD) showed that algal cell density dominated light attenuation.During the algal bloom outbreak,the microcystin concentration was found to vary between 0.35-2.12 μg/L in 2010 and 0.11-1.86 μg/L in 2011.The maximum microcystin content was more than two times the safety limit required for drinking water.Inflow discharges were most concentrated in the summer,with periods of lower residence time and the largest water level fluctuation over the entire year.When a high availability of nutrients promoted a high Chl-a concentration in the whole system,it appeared that the instability caused by the decrease in residence time could not produce effective changes in the cyanobacterial abundance.The results indicated that nutrient enrichment in the aquatic systems of Yanghe Reservoir is the most serious problem and that the status would not been modified effectively by increasing hydrological fluctuations(e.g.,decreasing the residence time).Therefore,decreasing the nutrient concentrations is the only route to improve the water quality of this reservoir.     

三峡蓄水期间汉丰湖消落区营养状态时间变化

为探明三峡蓄水后汉丰湖消落区水质营养状态的变化特征,于2013年10月至2014年2月对水质进行连续观察,测定了水质物理参数、营养盐与叶绿素(Chl-a)的质量浓度.结果表明,水体中营养盐与Chl-a质量浓度的增加,在淹水后营养程度有升高现象,2014年2月与2013年10月相比,TN、TP、高锰酸盐指数与Chl-a质量浓度分别增加了4.7、1.0、0.2、3.27倍,TN、TP质量浓度均超过藻类生长限值,随滞留时间延长易造成水体富营养化,应引起重视.Chl-a单因子评价反映出水质由贫营养向富营养演变.TN/TP结果表明,TN、TP分别在不同时间内制约着藻类的生长;2013年10~12月与2014年2月,藻类生长受TN限制;2014年1月,藻类生长受TP限制.Chl-a与p H、DO、NH+4-N、NO-3-N、TN、高锰酸盐指数及TP呈显著正相关,而与SD、水温呈显著负相关;蓄水期间,水质受到了同一污染源的影响.因子分析结果表明,汉丰湖消落区水质主要受p H、DO、NO-3-N、TN的影响,同时Chl-a、TP、NH+4-N与好氧性有机物的污染不可忽视;在蓄水稳定初期水体具有自净能力,随蓄水滞留时间的延长,水质污染程度整体上呈现逐步恶化的趋势,应加以控制;三峡蓄水期间,南河、东河营养程度相对较高,应加强治理.     

High-energy milling to decontaminate soils polluted by polychlorobiphenyls and atrazine

Mechanical energy has been used so far for running chemical reactions and for preparing new materials in absence of solvents. Very recently, the technology has been applied to solve environmental problems. In this paper, we describe the application of high-energy milling (HEM) for the remediation of soils contaminated by chlorinated organic compounds such as polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs) and agrochemicals like atrazine. NaBH₄ and LiAlH₄ have been successfully used for the total dehydrohalogenation of both classes of compounds, leaving a residue lower than 2 ppmw of the starting compound in the treated soil. LiAlH₄ was found to be more active than NaBH₄.     

Methylmercury and total mercury in estuarine organisms from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Guanabara Bay (GB), located in the Rio de Janeiro State, is still a productive estuary on the south-eastern Brazilian coast. It is an ecosystem heavily impacted by organic matter, oil and a number of other toxic compounds, including Hg. The present study aimed to comparatively evaluate the aquatic total mercury (THg) and MeHg contamination, and the ratios of MeHg to THg (% MeHg), in 3 species of marine organisms, Micropogonias furnieri-carnivorous fish (N = 81), Mugil spp.--detritivorous fish (N = 20) and Perna perna--filter-feeding bivalves (N = 190), which are widely consumed by the population. A total of 291 specimens were collected at the bay in different periods between 1988 and 1998. THg concentrations were determined by cold vapour AAS with stannous chloride as a reducing agent. MeHg was extracted by dithizone-benzene and measured by GC-ECD. Analytical quality was checked through certified standards. All organisms presented both low THg and MeHg concentrations and they were below the maximum limit of 1,000 micrograms Hg.kg-1 wet wt. as established for human intake of predatory fish by the new Brazilian legislation. Carnivorous fish showed higher THg and MeHg concentrations, and also % MeHg in muscle tissues, than organisms with other feeding habits and lower trophic levels. The average of THg concentrations in carnivorous fish was 108.9 +/- 58.6 micrograms.kg-1 wet wt. (N = 61) in 1990 and 199.5 +/- 116.2 micrograms.kg-1 wet wt. (N = 20) in 1998, but they presented different total length and body weights. The average THg content in detritivorous fish was 15.4 +/- 5.8 micrograms.kg-1 wet wt., whereas THg concentrations ranged from 4.1 to 53.5 micrograms.kg-1 wet wt. for the molluscs. The THg and MeHg contents of mussel varied according to the sampling point and water quality. MeHg concentration in detritivorous fish was similar to MeHg concentration in molluscs, but there was a significant difference in the MeHg/THg ratio: the carnivorous fish presented higher MeHg percentages (98%) than the detritivorous fish (54%) and the molluscs (33%). Weight-normalised average concentration of THg in carnivorous fish collected in 1990 (0.18 +/- 0.08 microgram.g-1/0.7 kg wet wt.) and in 1998 (0.16 +/- 0.09 microgram.g-1/0.7 kg wet wt.) presented no significant difference (t = 1.34; P < 0.5). In conclusion, the low THg and MeHg concentrations in the organisms from the GB ecosystem, are related to its eutrophic conditions and elevated amounts of suspended matter. In this situation, Hg could be strongly complexed or adsorbed by the particulate, which would dilute the Hg inputs and reduce its residence time in the water column, with a consequent decrease in its availability to organisms.