Solution-oriented global environmental assessments: Opportunities and challenges

This article provides an introduction to the Special Issue dedicated to “Solution-oriented Global Environmental Assessments: Opportunities and Challenges”. In the follow-up to the Paris climate agreement and the adoption and early implementation of the global Sustainable Development Goals involving many synergies and trade-offs, the need to shift the focus from environmental problem analysis towards the exploration of specific solution options can be observed in international environmental governance debates. To remain policy-relevant, credible and legitimate, global environmental assessments (GEAs) must carefully adapt to a rapidly evolving governance landscape. This Special Issue sheds light on the potential utility and implications of increased solution-orientation of GEAs. It builds on the research project “The Future of Global Environmental Assessment Making” that was jointly initiated in 2013 by UN Environment and the Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change. The article collection includes research on the coevolution of GEAs and the increasingly solution-oriented governance context; conditions of success for contemporary GEAs; the treatment of divergent viewpoints, stakes and stakeholders in solution-oriented GEAs; knowledge aggregation; and the enhanced measurement of GEA effectiveness in the emerging governance landscape.     

室内空气环境质量的探讨

介绍了室内空气环境质量的国内外有关研究成果。内容包括IAQ问题引发关注的缘由,IAQ的影响因素、评价方法及改善IAQ的相关措施。     

Cu(II), Fe(III) and Mn(II) combinations as environmental stress factors have distinguishing effects on Enterococcus hirae

Pollution by various heavy metals as environmental stress factors might affect bacteria. It was established that iron (Fe(III)), manganese (Mn(II)) and copper (Cu(II)) ion combinations caused effects on Enterococcus hirae that differed from the sum of the effects when the metals were added separately. It was shown that the Cu²⁺-Fe³⁺ combination decreased the growth and ATPase activity of membrane vesicles of wild-type E. hirae ATCC9790 and atpD mutant (with defective F_oF₁-ATPase) MS116. Addition of Mn²⁺-Fe³⁺ combinations within the same concentration range had no effects on growth compared to control (without heavy metals). ATPase activity was increased in the presence of Mn²⁺-Fe³⁺, while together with 0.2 mmol/L N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD), ATPase activity was decreased compared to control (when only 0.2 mmol/L DCCD was present). These results indicate that heavy metals ion combinations probably affect the FOF1-ATPase, leading to conformational changes. Moreover the action may be direct or be mediated by environment redox potential. The effects observed when Fe³⁺ was added separately disappeared in both cases, which might be a result of competing processes between Fe³⁺ and other heavy metals. These findings are novel and improve the understanding of heavy metals ions effects on bacteria, and could be applied for regulation of stress response patterns in the environment.     

Changes in nitrogen budget and potential risk to the environment over 20 years (1990–2010) in the agroecosystems of the Haihe Basin,China

The nitrogen balance can serve as an indicator of the risk to the environment of nitrogen loss from agricultural land. To investigate the temporal and spatial changes in agricultural nitrogen application and its potential threat to the environment of the Haihe Basin in China, we used a database of county-level agricultural statistics to calculate agricultural nitrogen input, output, surplus intensity, and use efficiency. Chemical fertilizer nitrogen input increased by 51.7% from 1990 to 2000 and by 37.2% from 2000 to 2010, concomitant with increasing crop yields. Simultaneously, the nitrogen surplus intensity increased by 53.5% from 1990 to 2000 and by 16.5% from 2000 to 2010, presenting a continuously increased environmental risk. Nitrogen use efficiency decreased from 0.46 in 1990 to 0.42 in 2000 and remained constant at 0.42 in 2010, partly due to fertilizer composition and type improvement. This level indicates that more than half of nitrogen inputs are lost in agroecosystems. Our results suggest that although the improvement in fertilizer composition and types has partially offset the decrease in nitrogen use efficiency, the environmental risk has still increased gradually over the past 20 years, along with the increase in crop yields and nitrogen application. It is important to achieve a better nitrogen balance through more effective management to significantly reduce the environmental risk, decrease nitrogen surplus intensity, and increase nitrogen use efficiency without sacrificing crop yields.     

Cu(II), Fe(III) and Mn(II) combinations as environmental stress factors have distinguishing effects on Enterococcus hirae

Pollution by various heavy metals as environmental stress factors might affect bacteria. It was established that iron (Fe(III)), manganese (Mn(II)) and copper (Cu(II)) ion combinations caused effects on Enterococcus hirae that differed from the sum of the effects when the metals were added separately. It was shown that the Cu^2 +–Fe^3 + combination decreased the growth and ATPase activity of membrane vesicles of wild-type E. hirae ATCC9790 and atpD mutant (with defective F_oF₁-ATPase) MS116. Addition of Mn^2 +–Fe^3 + combinations within the same concentration range had no effects on growth compared to control (without heavy metals). ATPase activity was increased in the presence of Mn^2 +–Fe^3 +, while together with 0.2 mmol/L N,N′-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD), ATPase activity was decreased compared to control (when only 0.2 mmol/L DCCD was present). These results indicate that heavy metals ion combinations probably affect the F_OF₁-ATPase, leading to conformational changes. Moreover the action may be direct or be mediated by environment redox potential. The effects observed when Fe^3 + was added separately disappeared in both cases, which might be a result of competing processes between Fe^3 + and other heavy metals. These findings are novel and improve the understanding of heavy metals ions effects on bacteria, and could be applied for regulation of stress response patterns in the environment.     

Cu(Ⅱ), Fe(Ⅲ) and Mn(Ⅱ) combinations as environmental stress factors have distinguishing effects on Enterococcus hirae

Pollution by various heavy metals as environmental stress factors might affect bacteria. It was established that iron(Fe(Ⅲ)), manganese(Mn(Ⅱ)) and copper(Cu(Ⅱ)) ion combinations caused effects on Enterococcus hirae that differed from the sum of the effects when the metals were added separately. It was shown that the Cu2+–Fe3+combination decreased the growth and ATPase activity of membrane vesicles of wild-type E. hirae ATCC9790 and atp D mutant(with defective FoF1-ATPase) MS116. Addition of Mn2+–Fe3+combinations within the same concentration range had no effects on growth compared to control(without heavy metals). ATPase activity was increased in the presence of Mn2+–Fe3+, while together with0.2 mmol/L N,N′-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide(DCCD), ATPase activity was decreased compared to control(when only 0.2 mmol/L DCCD was present). These results indicate that heavy metals ion combinations probably affect the FOF1-ATPase, leading to conformational changes. Moreover the action may be direct or be mediated by environment redox potential.The effects observed when Fe3+was added separately disappeared in both cases, which might be a result of competing processes between Fe3+and other heavy metals. These findings are novel and improve the understanding of heavy metals ions effects on bacteria,and could be applied for regulation of stress response patterns in the environment.     

New insights into disruption of iron homeostasis by environmental pollutants

Among the numerous health conditions environmental pollutants can cause, chronic exposure to pollutants including persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and heavy metals has been shown to disturb a specific biological homeostatic process, the iron metabolism in human body. Disorders of iron metabolism are among the common diseases of humans and encompass a broad spectrum of diseases with different clinical manifestations, ranging from anemia to iron overload, and possibly to neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. Hepcidin–ferroportin (FPN) signaling is one of the key mechanisms responsible for iron supply, utilization, recycling, and storage, and recent studies demonstrated that exposure to environmental pollutants including POPs and heavy metals could lead to disruption of the hepcidin–FPN axis along with disordered systemic iron homeostasis and diseases. This article introduces and highlights the accompanying review article by Drs. Xu and Liu in this journal, which elaborates in detail the adverse effects of environmental pollutants on iron metabolism, and the mechanisms responsible for these toxicological outcomes. It also points out the knowledge gaps still existing in this subject matter. Research that will fill these gaps will improve our understanding of the issue and provide useful information to prevent or treat diseases induced by environmental pollutants.     

我国环境保护科技创新工作“十二五”进展与“十三五”展望

推进环保科技创新是加快环境管理战略转型的重要基础和支撑。论述了科技创新在我国环境保护管理中的作用,回顾了"十二五"期间在水、大气、土壤、生态、固废与化学品等领域环保科技工作的进展与成效,提出了"十三五"环境保护科技工作的发展方向和重点任务。     

噪声污染侵权责任中“噪声污染”的界定

判定是否承担噪声污染侵权责任首先是对噪声污染的概念的界定,现行法律对该概念的界定主要采用“超标+干扰”的主客观相结合要件,实践中出现了扰民但噪声不超标的情况,由于不符合“环境噪声污染”概念而难以得到救济.对噪声污染概念的重构需要考虑到行政法中和侵权法中该概念的不同,其蕴含的价值区别.参考国外立法并结合我国实际应将超过忍受限度作为对噪声污染概念界定的标准之一,在保护人身的同时将对财产的保护也纳入保护范围之内.在环境噪声污染侵权中,法院在适用法律裁判案件时,不应运用《环境噪声污染防治法》中关于环境噪声污染概念的界定.     

鄱阳湖典型湿地沉水植物的分布格局及其水环境影响因子

沉水植物是湖泊湿地生态系统中关键组分,调查研究沉水植物分布格局及其水环境影响因子,对于沉水植被的恢复与重建具有重要的指导意义。2013年5月初期分别对鄱阳湖典型湿地区域中有沉水植物的25个样地进行群落结构调查,采用系统取样方法对沉水植物进行调查采样并监测水环境因子,在野外调查的基础上运用GIS软件制作鄱阳湖典型区域沉水植物的生物量分布图,并采用主成分分析(PCA)和典范对应分析(CCA)方法分析其主要影响因子。结果表明:鄱阳湖湿地沉水植物以苦草(Vallisneria natans)为广布种,其中蚌湖及白沙湖以黑藻(Hydrilla verticillata)为优势种,白沙洲及乐安河龙口段以苦草为优势种,伴生种主要有金鱼藻(Ceratophyllum demersum)、马来眼子菜(Potamogeton malaianus)、菹草(P.crispus)、小茨藻(Najas minor)、大茨藻(N.marina)、刺苦草(V.spinulosa)和水车前(Ottelia alismoides)等。采用双向指示种分析法将研究区沉水植物分为6个群落;5月初大部分沉水植物尚处于生长季初期,生物量相对较低,仅菹草的生物量较大;沉水植物与浮叶植物共存现象明显。主成分分析(PCA)结果显示,第一主成分中水深、总磷和溶解氧等因子的系数值较大,第二主成分中pH值、化学需氧量和水体透明度等因子的系数值较大,是影响沉水植物分布的关键因子;典范对应分析(CCA)结果显示,水深、总磷和总氮对苦草和黑藻的影响显著,水体透明度是马来眼子菜的主要影响因子。