Arsenic, Cadmium, Lead, and Mercury in surface soils, Pueblo, Colorado: implications for population health risk

Decades of intensive industrial and agricultural practices as well as rapid urbanization have left communities like Pueblo, Colorado facing potential health threats from pollution of its soils, air, water and food supply. To address such concerns about environmental contamination, we conducted an urban geochemical study of the city of Pueblo to offer insights into the potential chemical hazards in soil and inform priorities for future health studies and population interventions aimed at reducing exposures to inorganic substances. The current study characterizes the environmental landscape of Pueblo in terms of heavy metals, and relates this to population distributions. Soil was sampled within the city along transects and analyzed for arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg) and lead (Pb). We also profiled Pueblo’s communities in terms of their socioeconomic status and demographics. ArcGIS 9.0 was used to perform exploratory spatial data analysis and generate community profiles and prediction maps. The topsoil in Pueblo contains more As, Cd, Hg and Pb than national soil averages, although average Hg content in Pueblo was within reported baseline ranges. The highest levels of As concentrations ranged between 56.6 and 66.5 ppm. Lead concentrations exceeded 300 ppm in several of Pueblo’s residential communities. Elevated levels of lead are concentrated in low-income Hispanic and African-American communities. Areas of excessively high Cd concentration exist around Pueblo, including low income and minority communities, raising additional health and environmental justice concerns. Although the distribution patterns vary by element and may reflect both industrial and non-industrial sources, the study confirms that there is environmental contamination around Pueblo and underscores the need for a comprehensive public health approach to address environmental threats in urban communities.     

PPP模式在城市生活垃圾处理中的应用探讨

由于政府在城市生活垃圾的处理上所采用传统的环卫管理体制,导致在垃圾处理中存在严重的资金不足、效率不高等问题.为此,提出一种基于公私合作思想的垃圾处理的新模式.首先,引出公私合作的PPP模式,并从技术、经济和管理方面对PPP模式应用于生活垃圾处理的可行性进行论证;然后,通过分析政府与企业在垃圾处理过程中的地位,构建城市生活垃圾处理的新模型;最后,对政府和公司在应用PPP模式方面提出了行之有效的建议.     

Validation of Urban Emission Inventories

Two emission validation methods are presented. The first method focuses on the precision of the emission factors and the accuracy of modelled traffic flows. Emission factors derived from the COPERT II methodology are compared with on-board emission measurements and modelled traffic flow rates are compared with observations. The second validation method focuses on the completeness of the inventory, i.e. coverage of all sources. The method compares measured pollutant fluxes in the urban plume with the downwind transported and dispersed emissions integrated over plume width and mixing height. Both methods seem to indicate that traffic emission factors used in the urban emission inventories show large uncertainties. Besides the lack of measurement precision this is mainly induced by external influence factors like driving behaviour and vehicle maintenance.     

Ecological monitoring of urban groups of stray dogs: An example of the city of petrozavodsk

The results of the census of stray dogs and data on their territorial distribution in the city of Petrozavodsk are reported. The population density of these animals has been found to vary within the urban area, depending mainly on the availability of secluded areas to live in and on population control by municipal services.     

基于HR/CFD技术的城市汽车尾气扩散规律研究

为研究城市空间结构对汽车尾气扩散规律,根据高分辨率遥感影像建立了某城市核心区域几何模型。以当地常年气象风向作为重要的边界条件之一,应用CFD多相流技术,模拟了十字交叉口车辆队列怠速等候35,45,55 s时的尾气扩散过程,并对45 s时4个监测点的体积分数进行了实测,最后,通过建筑高度优化,降低了该区域的尾气含量。以上研究结果表明:在空间狭小区域,近地空间CO体积分数达1.0×10-7,与研究域平均体积分数相差100倍以上,说明城市空间结构对尾气扩散影响较大,仿真所揭示的规律与实测吻合。建筑设计时应结合当地气象风向和风速,应设计一定的建筑高度梯度,可以促使污浊气体迅速扩散至远地空间。     

20世纪90年代以来沈阳市人口、经济、空间与环境的协调度分析

在中国城市化迅速发展的背景下．城市人口、经济、空间与城市环境的矛盾日益复杂和激化，从可持续发展的角度出发．迫切需要研究城市人口、经济、空间与城市环境之闻的协调关系。运用主成分分析和回归分析等方法。在市区尺度上构建城市人口、经济、空阃与城市环境的协调评价体系，并以老工业城市沈阳为例，进行实证分析。分析结果表明：沈阳城市人口经济空间的综合发展于1993—1999年处于困境．2000年以后城市综合发展逐步好转；沈阳城市环境在1998年以后稳定上升；沈阳城市综合发展与城市环境的静态协调度具有明显的阶段性和波动性特征，动态协调度具有平滑和滞后性的特点；静态协调度于1993—1994年属于基本不协调阶段．1995—2005年基本处于协调状态。于1999年出现了低谷。并存在着下降的趋势；动态协调度于1993—1996年属于基本不协调阶段。1997年以后总体上属于基本协调阶段。     

A forecast analysis on world population and urbanization process

The continuous growth of world population and the intensification of urbanization process create a challenge to environment quality and sustainable development around the world. In this paper I tried to conduct a forecast analysis of near-future urbanization related population growth worldwide, based on recent demographic trends. Such an analysis can provide important insights into the prospects for changes in the size and composition of world population and in urbanization process. Optimal polynomial functions were used to fit historical trajectories of population dynamics, and the detailed forecasts of the population mainly over the period 2010–2030 were conducted and analyzed. If the past pattern continues, world total population would increase to 7.94–8.33 billion in 2030 and the annual growth is expected to continually decline in the forecast period. Global total population would stop increasing during the period 2050–2060 and would not exceed 9.5 billion in the future. The total population of Africa, Asia, Oceania, South America, North & Central America would separately increase to 1.35–1.41, 4.86–5.65, 0.04–0.05, 0.44–0.45, and 0.71–0.72 billion in 2030. Europe’s total population is forecast to decline to 0.64–0.67 billion in 2030. World’s rural population is expected to grow to the maximum during the period 2015–2020 and would greatly decline after that period. Global rural population would reach 3.12–3.41 billion in 2030. Rural population in Asia and Africa is estimated to increase and achieve the maximum around 2025 and decline thereafter. For other regions, the rural population would continually decline in the forecast period. Urban population in the world would continually grow and reach 4.72–5.00 billion in 2030, an increase of 48.6–57.8%. However the annual growth of urban population is expected to increase to the maximum (6.86 million/year) during the period 2020–2025 and then decline in the following years. Urban population is projected to continually grow in all regions excepting Europe. Europe’s urban population is expected to decline in the period 2010–2030. Urbanization process worldwide, represented by the ratio urban population versus total population (RUT) and the ratio rural population versus urban population, is expected to continue during the period 2010–2030. The RUT of the world is projected to reach 0.5 before 2010 and would continue to increase in the forecast period. Global RUT is estimated to reach 0.56 in 2030. However, the regional patterns of urbanization process would be diverse. Europe’s RUT is estimated to continually decline in the forecast period and reach 0.68 in 2030. The RUT for Africa and Caribbean would continually increase before 2030, while the RUTs for Asia and South America are estimated to achieve their maximums around 2025 and decline in the following years. Oceania and North & Central America would thoroughly realize urbanization (≈1) during the periods 2020–2025 and 2025–2030. The expansion of world population and urbanization will continually exert a stronger stress to environment quality and sustainable development in a near future. However we may expect this situation would start to change from mid-21st century after total population has achieved its maximum. Readers should send their comments on this paper to BhaskarNath@aol.com within 3 months of publication of this issue.     

城市边界土地增值收益之经济学分析——兼论土地征收中的农民利益保护

经济发展使得城市增长具有必然性。而城市增长又会带来城市内外特定区位土地价格的增加。城市边界区土地价格具有自身的特点。从动态的城市地价模型分析来看．其增值不仅来自于外部性作用，还得益于城市的扩张。城市的扩张有两种方式：一是由于城市化和收入的增加导致城市地租曲线整体向外平移；二是即使人口保持不变，但由于交通的改善使得城市地租曲线逆时针旋转。不能以农业地价来定量边界区土地价格。因为该区土地增值不仅仅来自于外部性，农民具有参与增值分割的权利。应该重新建立土地征收补偿的价格体系．保护农民的合法权利。     

Cultural Relevance for Rural Community Development in China: A Case Study in Bai,Jingpo and Huyaodai Communities of Yunnan Province

Abstract

A three-year study over the Bai, Jingpo and Huayaodai communities in Yunnan Province reveals that the community development is significantly influenced in various ways by such cultural factors as the concepts of development; concepts and traditions of inter-community relationships, consumption, marriage and gender; patterns of decision-making and production, resource and income allocation; as well as the role of information dissemination systems, religion and ritual. Based on the analysis over the interactive relevance between each factor and community development, some strategies and methods for dealing with such a cultural relevance in development projects are recommended.