Improvement of soil aggregate stability by repeated applications of organic amendments to a cultivated silty loam soil

The objective of this study was to compare the effects of repeated field applications of three urban compost amendments and one farmyard manure amendment over a 9-year period on aggregate stability in a silty loam soil initially characterized by low clay and initial organic matter contents and poor aggregate stability. Three different aggregate stability tests with increasing disruptive intensities (fast wetting > mechanical breakdown > slow wetting tests) and different disaggregation mechanisms, were used. All of the amendments, which were applied at approximately 4 Mg C ha⁻¹ every other year, increased the organic carbon content and improved the stability of the aggregates against the disruptive action of water, as determined by each of the stability tests. However, the year-to-year variations in the aggregate stability that related to factors other than the organic inputs were greater than the cumulative increase in aggregate stability relative to the control. The positive effects of the tested amendments on aggregate stability were linked to their contribution to soil organic C contents (r = 0.54 for the fast wetting test and r = 0.41-0.42 for the mechanical breakdown and slow wetting tests; p < 0.05). The addition of urban composts had a larger positive effect on aggregate stability than farmyard manure at the majority of sampling dates. The addition of biodegradable immature compost, such as municipal solid waste (MSW), improved the aggregate stability through an enhanced resistance to slaking. The addition of mature composts, such as the co-compost of sewage sludge and green wastes (GWS) or biowaste compost (BW), improved the aggregate stability by increasing interparticular cohesion. The MSW compost was the most efficient in improving aggregate stability during the first 6 years of the experiment (average improvements of +22%, +5% and +28% in the fast wetting, mechanical breakdown and slow wetting tests, respectively, compared to the control treatment); this result was likely due to the larger labile organic pool of the MSW compost that was highly effective at stimulating soil microbial activity. After the first 6 years, the two other composts, GWS and BW, became more efficient (average improvements of +25%, +61% and +33% in the fast wetting, mechanical breakdown and slow wetting tests, respectively, compared to the control treatment), which was probably linked to the greater increase in soil organic C contents. Therefore, the application of urban compost to silty soil that is susceptible to water erosion was effective at improving aggregate stability and thus could be used to enhance the resistance of soil to water erosion.     

Carbon footprint of food - approaches from national input-output statistics and a LCA of a food portion

The aim of the study, on which this paper is based, was to provide guidance to consumers to make environmentally responsible choices in their food consumption, to assist food supply chain stakeholders to identify the key areas for environmental improvements, and to provide policy makers with a tool for monitoring the potential impacts on climate change resulting from developments within the food sector. At the macro level, the EIO-LCA model was developed specifically for the Finnish food chain; at the micro level, LCAs were performed on 30 lunch portions. The contribution of the Finnish food chain to climate change was 14%, which comprised 40% CO₂ emissions, 25% CH₄ emissions, and 34% N₂O emissions. The share of impacts from domestic agricultural processes was the highest, at 69%. The impact of a single lunch portion ranged between 0.65 and 3.80 kg of equivalent CO₂. According to the EIO-LCA model, the average impact was 7.7 kg CO₂ eq/person daily. The consumer phase accounted for between 8 and 47% of the climate change impacts for homemade portions. In ready-to-eat portions industry and retail phases were emphasized, representing 25-38% of climate change impacts. We present an approach to steer the Finnish food sector onto an environmentally sustainable path; practical tools for consumers and farmers will especially need to be developed further.     

基于STIRPAT模型的能源消费碳足迹变化及影响因素——以江苏省苏锡常地区为例

定量研究经济社会发展对地区能源消费碳足迹的影响对区域实现低碳发展具有重要意义。论文计算了江苏省苏锡常地区1991-2008年能源消费碳足迹,采用岭回归函数对STIRPAT模型进行了拟合,采用脱钩指数分析了经济发展与能源消费碳足迹之间的关系。结果表明:①1991-2008年能源消费碳足迹平均增长速度为15.30%,能源消费碳足迹分配率以煤炭为主,石油所占比例呈波动下降趋势,天然气所占比例上升较快,能源消费碳足迹产值总体呈波动下降趋势;②经济增长是能源消费碳足迹的主要影响因素,两者关系模型拟合未出现环境库兹涅茨曲线;③经济增长与能源消费碳足迹之间处于相对脱钩与复钩的波动状态,从另一侧面验证了目前两者之间不存在库兹涅茨曲线假说的结论。     

The water supply footprint (WSF): a strategic planning tool for sustainable regional and local water supplies

This paper introduces a new methodological approach of the ecological footprint explicitly addressing the sustainability of water supplies, which we call the water supply footprint (WSF). The WSF calculates the catchment area or water supply hinterland of a certain society and can serve as a strategic planning tool for local or regional water supplies linking the water demand with the water supply in a water supply footprint matrix. Based on regional water balances it estimates how much water can be appropriated for human use in an environmentally sustainable way.The proposed method is tested on the South East Queensland water supply in Australia, an area where water use restrictions are regularly imposed on the population. Applying the proposed method indicates that supply shortages may be avoided by considerably changing the organisation of water supply, thereby reducing and possibly even avoiding the necessity for large-scale supply side measures like additional sweet water reservoirs or desalination plants. In that way it is demonstrated that the WSF method is applicable at an early and strategic stage of water supply planning.     

重庆市2004年的水足迹分析

把水足迹分析方法作为一个实用的工具,用来分析一个国家或地区的生产结构或消费方式是如何影响水资源的利用,是当前国际水资源领域研究的一个热点。而研究一个国家或地区如何通过客观评价水足迹来减少国内水资源压力、如何通过虚拟水贸易来获得最大的利益则是水足迹分析方法的两个发展方向。首先介绍了水足迹分析法的基本理论和研究方法,接着计算了重庆市2004年的水足迹。结果表明,重庆市2004年的水足迹为37017×108 m3,人均水足迹为1 177 m3／a,水自给率为9869％,过高的水足迹和自给率给重庆市的水资源带来巨大的压力。同时也分析了产生这么高水足迹的原因,并探讨了水足迹对重庆市水资源管理的启示和战略意义。最后对该方法及其应用前景进行了评价。     

供碳源载体及其在低碳氮比污水处理中的应用研究

为解决低C/N污水的脱氮问题,本实验自行研制开发了一种新型碳聚合物载体.对该载体进行低C/N污水的生物膜脱氮研究,考察了HRT、pH、DO、温度等因素对系统同步硝化反硝化脱氮效果的影响.结果表明:在C/N比为4、pH=8、DO=1 mg/L、HRT=6 h,T=24℃的条件下,氨氮及总氮的去除率分别可以达到90%和70...     

低碳高氮污水处理应用技术研究

针对碳氮比小于7的污水,其碳源不能满足硝化与反硝化的要求这一问题,通过改变SBR工艺的运行方式、调解工艺参数等技术手段,使其能够达标处理此类工业废水,并通过某淀粉厂的工程实例进行了验证:采用改良的SBR工艺可以对低碳高氮污水进行有效的处理。     

Effect of oxide-based fluxes on mechanical and metallurgical properties of Dissimilar Activating Flux Assisted-Tungsten Inert Gas Welds

Present investigation is to study the “Effect of Activating Fluxes on Mechanical and Metallurgical Properties of Dissimilar Activated Flux-Tungsten Inert Gas Welds”. Effect of current, welding speed, joint gap and electrode diameter on weld bead dimensions on 6 mm thick dissimilar weld between carbon steel to stainless steel, was studied under Activated Flux-Tungsten Inert Gas Welding process. During this investigation three different types of oxide powders were used-TiO₂, ZnO and MnO₂. After welding samples were subject to mechanical testing, in addition to characterization via micro hardness and microstructures of Normal Tungsten Inert Gas Welds and Activated Flux-Tungsten Inert Gas Welds. Activating fluxes TiO₂ and ZnO are effective fluxes for Activated Flux-Tungsten Inert Gas Welding of dissimilar weld between CS to SS. Highest depth/width (D/W) ratio reported under TiO₂ and ZnO fluxes compare to Normal-Tungsten Inert Gas Welds. Lowest angular distortion was observed under TiO₂ flux compare to Normal-Tungsten Inert Gas Welds. Mechanical properties, Joint Efficiency of Activated Flux-Tungsten Inert Gas Welds are higher than normal-Normal Tungsten Inert Gas Welds. Tensile Test specimens of both the processes failed from the parent metal (carbon steel side). Carbon migration from CS to SS, had occurred which led to failure of weld joints from CS side.     

家用空调碳足迹及其关键影响因素分析

我国居民家庭空调拥有量迅速增加,其生命周期中产生的温室效应也日益受到关注.本文依据国际标准PAS 2050,采用RCEES 2012和Ecoinvent 2.1数据库,并运用SimaPro 7.1软件计算了中国典型家用空调的碳足迹.主要结论为:家用空调生命周期中使用阶段用电产生的碳足迹最大,占67%;制冷剂的泄漏是除电力使用外第二大碳足迹贡献因素,产生了23%的碳足迹;生产制造阶段和废物处理阶段的碳足迹分别占16%和-6%.敏感性分析表明,空调日使用时间、空调年使用季节和制冷剂的泄漏比例是家用空调碳足迹的关键影响因素.     

Correlates of mercury in fish from lakes near Clyde Forks, Ontario, Canada

Subsurface soils near Clyde Forks, Ontario, Canada, can have naturally high concentrations of mercury (Hg) from local geological sources. To investigate Hg in local aquatic food webs, Hg was measured in fish dorsal muscle (mainly yellow perch [YP] and pumpkinseed sunfish [PS]) and surface sediments from 10 regional lakes. Water chemistry, along with fork length, weight, and stable isotopes (delta15N, delta13C, delta34S) in fish were also measured. No lake sediments had elevated (>0.3microg/g dw) Hg, and average Hg concentrations in fish were not sufficiently high (<1microg/g dw) to be of concern for fish-eating wildlife. Variance in fish Hg was best explained by dietary carbon source (delta13C), and certain lake variables (e.g., pH for YP). PS with more pelagic feeding habits had higher delta34S and Hg than those with more littoral feeding habits. Potential biological linkages between fish Hg and delta34S, a parameter that may be related to the lake sulphate-reducing bacteria activity, requires further investigation.