Altered toxicity of organic pollutants in water originated from simultaneous exposure to UV photolysis and CdSe/ZnS quantum dots

The paper reports unforeseen results of increased toxicity of water, subsequent to interactions between CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs), phenol and toluene under UV irradiation. The consistent pattern of changes in measured toxicity (TU) was observed and correlated with degradation of phenol and/or toluene. Spearman rank coefficients (SRCs) for data pairs sum-parameters vs. TU were calculated. The highest correlation between toxicity and degradation by-products was observed for hydroquinone (0.86) and catechol (0.89). The presence of QDs in tested concentration range in the absence of UV has shown low toxicity and no interactions with phenol and/or toluene. The leak of constituent core and shell metal ions was observed. The minor differences in physical characteristics of tested QDs of the same chemical composition led to rather different degradation patterns of phenol and toluene, and the amount of leak of the metal ions as well.     

介质阻挡放电协同Ag/Al_2O_3对NO_x脱除的影响

为有效去除发电厂烟气中产生的NOx,利用介质阻挡放电(DBD)产生低温等离子体并结合催化剂Ag/Al2O3进行烟气脱硝实验,研究了在加入乙烯的条件下,平均负载量、催化温度和装置的布置方式对NOx脱除的影响。结果表明,随着负载的增多,NO脱除率呈现先增大后减小的趋势,5种负载量中最佳为1.76%;随着催化温度的升高,NO脱除率同样呈现先增大后减小的趋势,最佳的催化温度为150℃左右;3种不同布置方式对NO和NOx脱除有明显差别,单独催化剂在NO和NOx的脱除率都比较低;单独介质阻挡放电NO脱除率很高,但是NOx很却很低;而两者结合在NO和NOx都达到了很好的效果。     

Pd/C气体扩散电极用于电生成H2O2降解苯酚的研究

采用自制的Pd/C气体扩散阴极和Ti/IrO2/RuO2阳极,在无隔膜电解槽中对苯酚模拟废水降解效果及机制进行了研究,采用电子自旋共振法(ESR)对电解体系中产生的羟自由基(·OH)进行了检测.结果表明,在Pd/C气体扩散体系中掺杂Pd催化剂可以促进H2 O2的生成(H2 O2的稳定浓度是7.5 mg/L),有利于·OH的产生.经电化学氧化处理120 min后,苯酚和COD的去除率分别达到97.2%和50%,表明在电催化氧化过程中苯酚被氧化生成了大量低分子量中间产物.废水的BOD5/COD值达到0.73是处理前的9.1倍,苯酚废水的可生化降解性通过电化学氧化处理后显著提高.在该电化学体系中苯酚的降解是在阳极直接、间接氧化及阴极产生的H2 O2、·OH的氧化共同作用下完成的.通过对紫外扫描光谱图的分析推断出苯酚在电解过程中有醌类物质生成;由GC-MS检测到了邻苯二酚、对苯二酚、苯醌等芳香族化合物和己二酸、顺丁烯二酸、反丁烯二酸、丁二酸、丙二酸、乙二酸等短链羧酸,据此提出了苯酚降解的可能历程.     

Methods for project-based mechanisms (JI/CDM)—relevance of IPCC inventory guidelines

A baseline for a project consists of estimates of annual emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) for a given time period without implementing the project. A general three-step process for determining the baseline is suggested. The emission reduction of the project is given by the difference between the baseline and the monitored annual emissions. A preferred method, direct measurement of the emission reduction, is possible for some types of projects. Methods for estimating the annual baseline emissions are not necessary for the latter category, and a definition of this project category is suggested. IPCC Guidelines for National GHG Inventories categorise the emission sources so that only direct emissions from consumption of fuel and feedstock are calculated. There are thus no emission factors for indirect emissions (e.g. electricity consumption or km transported) or emission factors that depend on technology only, independent of consumption of fuel and feedstock. Technology-dependent emission factors may thus need to be developed for estimating indirect emissions and multi-project baselines. Consistency should be sought with the IPCC Guidelines when estimating annual baseline emissions and in monitoring project emissions to ensure comparability with the National Inventories.     

土地利用/覆盖变化对长江上游非点源污染影响研究

在国内外相关研究的基础上,利用输出系数模型,结合RS和GIS技术,对长江上游的非点源污染负荷进行了空间模拟和负荷估算.模拟结果表明,在不考虑流域损失的前提下,由于土地利用造成的非点源污染负荷TN总量从20世纪70年代的123万t下降至2000年的116万t,基本呈逐年减少的趋势,由土地利用造成的TP的变化趋势与TN基本相同,从70年代的3.7万t下降到2000年的3.5万t左右.就省份、土地利用类型和水系而言,四川省、种植用地和草地以及金沙江水系和嘉陵江水系对长江上游的非点源污染贡献较大.在非点源污染负荷强度上,重庆市和嘉陵江水系单位面积负荷最高,是今后应重点治理的地区.结果表明,该模型可以对长江上游这样的超大尺度空间的非点源污染进行较好的空间模拟.     

SACRAMENTO RIVER FLOW RECONSTRUCTED TO A.D. 869 FROM TREE RINGS1

ABSTRACT: A time series of annual flow of the Sacramento River, California, is reconstructed to A.D. 869 from tree rings for a long‐term perspective on hydrologic drought. Reconstructions derived by principal components regression of flow on time‐varying subsets of tree‐ring chronologies account for 64 to 81 percent of the flow variance in the 1906 to 1977 calibration period. A Monte Carlo analysis of reconstructed n‐year running means indicates that the gaged record contains examples of drought extremes for averaging periods of perhaps = 6 to 10 years, but not for longer and shorter averaging periods. For example, the estimated probability approaches 1.0 that the flow in A.D. 1580 was lower than the lowest single‐year gaged flow. The tree‐ring record also suggests that persistently high or low flows over 50‐year periods characterize some parts of the long‐term flow history. The results should contribute to sensible water resources planning for the Sacramento Basin and to the methodology of incorporating tree‐ring data in the assessment of the probability of hydrologic drought.     

Determination of neonicotinoids in Estonian honey by liquid chromatography–electrospray mass spectrometry

The aim of the study was to provide a comprehensive overview of neonicotinoid pesticide residues in honey samples for a single country and compare the results with the import data for neonicotinoid pesticides. The levels of four neonicotinoid pesticides, namely thiamethoxam, imidacloprid, acetamiprid, and thiacloprid, were determined in 294 honey samples harvested from 2005 to 2013 from more than 200 locations in Estonia. For the analyzed honey samples, 27% contained thiacloprid, and its levels in all cases were below the maximum residue level set by the European Union. The other neonicotinoids were not detected. The proportion of thiacloprid-positive samples for different years correlates well with the data on thiacloprid imports into Estonia, indicating that honey contamination with neonicotinoids can be estimated based on the import data.     

Global Urban Growth and the Geography of Water Availability,Quality, and Delivery

Globally, urban growth will add 1.5 billion people to cities by 2030, making the difficult task of urban water provisions even more challenging. In this article, we develop a conceptual framework of urban water provision as composed of three axes: water availability, water quality, and water delivery. For each axis, we calculate quantitative proxy measures for all cities with more than 50,000 residents, and then briefly discuss the strategies cities are using in response if they are deficient on one of the axes. We show that 523 million people are in cities where water availability may be an issue, 890 million people are in cities where water quality may be an issue, and 1.3 billion people are in cities where water delivery may be an issue. Tapping into groundwater is a widespread response, regardless of the management challenge, with many cities unsustainably using this resource. The strategies used by cities deficient on the water delivery axis are different than for cities deficient on the water quantity or water quality axis, as lack of financial resources pushes cities toward a different and potentially less effective set of strategies.     

The impact of nitrogen deposition on acid grasslands in the Atlantic region of Europe

A survey of 153 acid grasslands from the Atlantic biogeographic region of Europe indicates that chronic nitrogen deposition is changing plant species composition and soil and plant-tissue chemistry. Across the deposition gradient (2-44 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹) grass richness as a proportion of total species richness increased whereas forb richness decreased. Soil C:N ratio increased, but soil extractable nitrate and ammonium concentrations did not show any relationship with nitrogen deposition. The above-ground tissue nitrogen contents of three plant species were examined: Agrostis capillaris (grass), Galium saxatile (forb) and Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus (bryophyte). The tissue nitrogen content of neither vascular plant species showed any relationship with nitrogen deposition, but there was a weak positive relationship between R. squarrosus nitrogen content and nitrogen deposition. None of the species showed strong relationships between above-ground tissue N:P or C:N and nitrogen deposition, indicating that they are not good indicators of deposition rate.     

MEASURED AND PREDICTED VELOCITY AND LONGITUDINAL DISPERSION AT STEAI)Y AND UNSTEADY FLOW,COLORADO RIVER,GLEN CANYON DAM TO LAKE MEAD1

ABSTRACT: The effect of unsteadiness of dam releases on velocity and longitudinal dispersion of flow was evaluated by injecting a fluorescent dye into the Colorado River below Glen Canyon Dam and sampling for dye concentration at selected sites downstream. Measurements of a 26-kilometer reach of Glen Canyon, just below Glen Canyon Dam, were made at nearly steady dam releases of 139, 425, and 651 cubic meters per second. Measurements of a 380-kilometer reach of Grand Canyon were made at steady releases of 425 cubic meters per second and at unsteady releases with a daily mean of about 425 cubic meters per second. In Glen Canyon, average flow velocity through the study reach increased directly with discharge, but dispersion was greatest at the lowest of the three flows measured. In Grand Canyon, average flow velocity varied slightly from subreach to subreach at both steady and unsteady flow but was not significantly different at steady and unsteady flow over the entire study reach. Also, longitudinal dispersion was not significantly different during steady and unsteady flow. Long tails on the time-concentration curves at a site, characteristic of most rivers but not predicted by the one-dimensional theory, were not found in this study. Absence of tails on the curves shows that, at the measured flows, the eddies that are characteristic of the Grand Canyon reach do not trap water for a significant length of time. Data from the measurements were used to calibrate a one-dimensional flow model and a solute-transport model. The combined set of calibrated flow and solute-transport models was then used to predict velocity and dispersion at potential dam-release patterns.