Contaminants and their effects on estuarine and coastal organisms in the United Kingdom in the late twentieth century

The biological effects of contaminants in British estuaries and coastal waters have been studied for over 100 years. Until the 1970s. the major pollution impact on estuarine organisms was probably caused by poorly treated sewage which led to severe oxygen deficits and consequent asphyxiation of many water-breathers. However, since the introduction of improved sewage treatment in the last 30 years, a number of continuing impacts have come to light which represent true toxic effects of micro-contaminants. Sublethal changes observed in various bioassays and biomarkers are widespread in both fish and invertebrates, and in the most urbanised and industrialised estuaries, these effects are probably having impacts at the population and community levels. For example, there is good evidence to show that tributyltin from some antifouling paints has not only affected the sexuality and reproductive success of individual estuarine and coastal molluscs, but has also damaged some benthic communities of which molluscs are but a part. Although there are data to show that some contaminant concentrations are now declining, we do not yet have enough data in most cases to decide whether organisms have also begun to recover. This paper reviews the entire field of contaminant effects in UK estuarine and marine waters, focusing especially on the years 1985-2000, and makes some recommendations for future research and monitoring programmes.     

Use of sequential sampling of amphipod abundance to classify the biotic integrity of acid-sensitive lakes

A sequential sampling program using previously published zoobenthos data is described for ubiquitous, cost-effective biomonitoring of the effects of lake acidification. Spring densities of the littoral amphipodHyalella azteca are quantitatively sorted into five abundance catagories. An essential step in the a priori definition of decision criteria is the stratification of proportional densities per unit macrophyte biomass in relation to aqueous total phosphorus concentrations. Density rankings were related to lake acidity and to detailed lake-specific information on patterns ofHyalella life history and acid tolerance. Incorporation ofHyalella abundance as a potential metric for the assessment of the biological integrity of acid-sensitive waters is recommended. The temporal integration of transient changes in spring meltwater chemistry is an important rationale for the development of such biomonitoring procedures.     

石油及其它有机污染的生物治理法

生物治理法作为治理有机污染物的有效途径已受到国内有关方面的广泛重视。现在跨行业、跨部门的各有关单位人员，从各个不同角度阐述了当今世界石油污染生物治理的现状。其中心是选择使用或培养有强降解能力的微生物进而达到彻底治理污染的目的。使用方法包括微生物法和微生物生态法。生物治理法的优点是：操作简便、处理费用低、效果好、对环境无污染、可以就地处理等。     

生物流化床法处理废水的研究与应用进展

介绍了国内外应用生物流化床法处理废水的研究及技术进展，着重阐述了好氧流化床与厌氧流化床的发展,概况，并介绍了几种新型生物流化反应器，指出了今后进一步研究与应用生物流化床的前景与努力方向。     

自然灾害研究的几个问题

本文从分析自然灾害的定义、种类入手,论述了灾害链、灾害的群发性及自然灾害对社会的影响,并就自然灾害的综合区划、影响评价和预测的研究作了概述。     

应用数理统计法评价污水去除率

确切的评价污水去除率是界定污水处理效果的依据,本文将数理统计法应用于污水去除率评价中,建立了一种较为科学的定量评价方法,同时还引入了总量监测的内涵.     

荷兰DSM化工厂生物除氮技术简介

本文主要介绍了荷兰DSM化工厂生物除氮技术     

生物法处理涂装废水工程设计

采用生物法处理涂装废水，具有投资省，处理效果好，运行费用低，系统稳定等特点，是涂装工业废水处理的一种可靠选择。     

Measuring conservation success beyond the traditional biological criteria: the case of conservation projects in Costa Rica,Mekong Valley,and Cameroon

Traditionally, the criteria used to measure conservation success or failure are based on biological factors. Biological factors include changes in the amount of targeted conserved species, biodiversity, and total area conserved. However, conservation efforts are not simply a matter of biological concern; environmental, political, social, and conflict pressures on different scales (ranging from local to global) also have strong influences on the outcome of conservation. These other factors can either pose threats to or enhance conservation, but are not addressed by current criteria. Using a proposed holistic rubric that includes interdisciplinary fields, this paper examines a set of conservation factors on different scales – ranging from local to global – to determine their importance in conservation. The paper analyses positive factor influences with more successful conservation and negative factor influences with less successful, or failed, conservation attempts. Neutral and non‐applicable factor influences are also identified, defined, and ranked as a standardization mechanism. The determination of success changed when the holistic rubric was applied to conservation projects in Costa Rica, Mekong Valley, and Cameroon. In the Costa Rica case study, conservation success for Guanacaste and Talamanca national parks is rated ‘moderately low’. In the case of Mekong Valley, conservation success is rated ‘low’ for Lower Mekong, ‘moderately low’ for Greater Annamites, and ‘low’ for Phong Nha‐Ke Bang national parks. Cameroon's Congo Basin and Sangha Tri‐National conservation efforts are both rated ‘low’, while Dja Faunal is rated ‘very low’. We conclude that if conservation efforts are to attain a high level of success, the strategy for global conservation must move away from the traditional biological approach, which focuses mainly on biological concerns, and embrace a holistic approach, which in addition to biological concerns, addresses environmental, political, social, and conflict pressures, which have strong influences on the outcomes of conservation.     

Rotating biological contactors for wastewater treatment – A review

Rotating biological contactors (RBCs) for wastewater treatment began in the 1970s. Removal of organic matter has been targeted within organic loading rates of up to 120 g m⁻² d⁻¹ with an optimum at around 15 g m⁻² d⁻¹ for combined BOD and ammonia removal. Full nitrification is achievable under appropriate process conditions with oxidation rates of up to 6 g m⁻² d⁻¹ reported for municipal wastewater. The RBC process has been adapted for denitrification with reported removal rates of up to 14 g m⁻² d⁻¹ with nitrogen rich wastewaters. Different media types can be used to improve organic/nitrogen loading rates through selecting for different bacterial groups. The RBC has been applied with only limited success for enhanced biological phosphorus removal and attained up to 70% total phosphorus removal. Compared to other biofilm processes, RBCs had 35% lower energy costs than trickling filters but higher demand than wetland systems. However, the land footprint for the same treatment is lower than these alternatives. The RBC process has been used for removal of priority pollutants such as pharmaceuticals and personal care products. The RBC system has been shown to eliminate 99% of faecal coliforms and the majority of other wastewater pathogens. Novel RBC reactors include systems for energy generation such as algae, methane production and microbial fuel cells for direct current generation. Issues such as scale up remain challenging for the future application of RBC technology and topics such as phosphorus removal and denitrification still require further research. High volumetric removal rate, solids retention, low footprint, hydraulic residence times are characteristics of RBCs. The RBC is therefore an ideal candidate for hybrid processes for upgrading works maximising efficiency of existing infrastructure and minimising energy consumption for nutrient removal. This review will provide a link between disciplines and discuss recent developments in RBC research and comparison of recent process designs are provided (Section 2). The microbial features of the RBC biofilm are highlighted (Section 3) and topics such as biological nitrogen removal and priority pollutant remediation are discussed (Sections 4 Biological nutrient removal in RBCs, 5 Priority pollutant remediation in RBCs). Developments in kinetics and modelling are highlighted (Section 6) and future research themes are mentioned.