Starch, Poly(lactic acid), and Poly(vinyl alcohol) Blends

Research on biodegradable materials has been stimulated due to concern regarding the persistence of plastic wastes. Blending starch with poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is one of the most promising efforts because starch is an abundant and cheap biopolymer and PLA is biodegradable with good mechanical properties. Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVOH) contains unhydrolytic residual groups of poly(vinyl acetate) and also has good compatibility with starch. It was added to a starch and PLA blend (50:50, w/w) to enhance compatibility and improve mechanical properties. PVOH (M_W 6,000) at 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50% (by weight) based on the total weight of starch and PLA, and 30% PVOH at various molecular weights (M_W 6,000, 25,000, 78,000, and 125,000 dalton) were added to starch/PLA blends. PVOH interacted with starch. At proportions greater than 30%, PVOH form a continuous phase with starch. Tensile strength of the starch/PLA blends increased as PVOH concentration increased up to 40% and decreased as PVOH molecular weight increased. The increasing molecular weight of PVOH slightly affected water absorption, but increasing PVOH concentration to 40% or 50% increased water absorption. Effects of moisture content on the starch/PLA/PVOH blend also were explored. The blend containing gelatinized starch had higher tensile strength. However, gelatinized starch also resulted in increased water absorption.     

基于VB的城市防火安全评价系统

主要介绍了在windows环境下，用VB6.0制作的一个城市防火安全评价可视化系统。城市防火安全评价采用的是模糊综合评判方法（以苏州古城区的防火安全评价为例）。采用Access2000建立原始的数据库。在数据库中存放原始评价数据，VB6.0中的应用程序在运行时调用数据库中数据，实现数据链接，通过运算，在VB模块的窗口中显示评价结果。本系统通过设置变量使系统程序的实际应用更具广泛性和方便性。     

草地畜牧业雪灾脆弱性评价 --以内蒙古牧区为例

从综合减灾和区域可持续发展的角度，建立了雪灾脆弱性评价指标体系及评价模型，并从雪灾区域孕灾环境敏感性以及区域畜牧业承灾体对雪灾的适应性两方面，对内蒙古雪灾脆弱性进行了评价。研究结果表明：内蒙古牧区雪灾脆弱性存在若明显的地域差异，中西部牧区比东部牧区脆弱性大，北部牧区比南部牧区脆弱性大，并且近10年来脆弱性提高的旗县明显增多，草地季节性干旱、北方干旱化以及草场超载过牧、退化加剧是畜牧业雪灾脆弱性呈增加趋势的直接原因。     

关于环评中的景观影响评价问题

环境影响评价制度对控制环境污染和防止生态破坏取得明显的成效。随着社会的进步和人们对环境质量的高要求,景观环境影响评价已成为旅游资源、森林资源、矿产资源开发以及交通运输等建设项目环境影响报告书中的重要内容。但由于目前尚缺乏评价规范和评价标准,在开展景观影响评价中存在着不少的困难,评价标准和评价等级的缺乏,使评价的深度和广度以及景观污染的界定上难以满足评价结果的要求;评价方法的不确定,又使评价过程难以统一,难以预测项目建设对景观的影响程度,而人才的缺乏则是困扰持证单位的主要问题。所以目前急切需要解决问题的办法是尽快制定景观评价的标准和规范,研究评价的方法,以加速人才的培养,使景观影响评价真正能达到保护景观的目的。     

秦皇岛市开发区生活污水利用可行性分析

本文通过对秦皇岛经济技术开发区居民小区生活污水进行处理并回用的可行性分析,得出城市生活污水经过适当处理后,完全可以再利用,从而达到节约水资源的目的,实现经济效益与环境效益的统一。     

秦皇岛市生态状况及资源开发利用水平分析综述

秦皇岛市区内生态类型多样,各类生态系统功能突出,自然资源丰富,尤其是海、旅游资源优势突出,为区域经济发展提供了良好的基础条件。该文对秦皇岛市生态系统平衡及资源开发利用水平进行了定量分析。     

活性污泥吸附重金属Cr6+的研究

以活性污泥为材料，采用不同时间、温度、pH进行吸附重金属Cr^6 的研究。实验结果表明，当吸附时间为15min，吸附温度为28℃，吸附pH=7时具有较好吸附效果。在此条件下，当重金属Cr^6 浓度为50mg/L，其吸附率可达97．2％。     

A Conceptual Framework for Selecting and Analyzing Stressor Data to Study Species Richness at Large Spatial Scales

/ In this paper we develop a conceptual framework for selectingstressor data and analyzing their relationship to geographic patterns ofspecies richness at large spatial scales. Aspects of climate and topography,which are not stressors per se, have been most strongly linked withgeographic patterns of species richness at large spatial scales (e.g.,continental to global scales). The adverse impact of stressors (e.g., habitatloss, pollution) on species has been demonstrated primarily on much smallerspatial scales. To date, there has been a lack of conceptual developmenton how to use stressor data to study geographic patterns of speciesrichness at large spatial scales.The framework we developed includes four components: (1) clarification of theterms stress and stressor and categorization of factors affecting speciesrichness into three groups-anthropogenic stressors, natural stressors, andnatural covariates; (2) synthesis of the existing hypotheses for explaininggeographic patterns of species richness to identify the scales over whichstressors and natural covariates influence species richness and to providesupporting evidence for these relationships through review of previousstudies; (3) identification of three criteria for selection of stressor andcovariate data sets: (a) inclusion of data sets from each of the threecategories identified in item 1, (b) inclusion of data sets representingdifferent aspects of each category, and (c) to the extent possible, analysisof data quality; and (4) identification of two approaches for examiningscale-dependent relationships among stressors, covariates, and patterns ofspecies richness-scaling-up and regression-tree analyses.Based on this framework, we propose 10 data sets as a minimum data base forexamining the effects of stressors and covariates on species richness atlarge spatial scales. These data sets include land cover, roads, wetlands(numbers and loss), exotic species, livestock grazing, surface water pH,pesticide application, climate (and weather), topography, and streams.KEY WORDS: Anthropogenic impacts; Biodiversity; Environmental gradients;Geographic information systems; Hierarchy     

Impoundment Productivity in the Prudhoe Bay Oil Field, Alaska: Implications for Waterbirds

a ), and nutrient availability (phosphorus and nitrogen). High variability in these limnological characteristics, particularly among impoundments, obscured potential differences between impoundments and ponds. No significant differences were found in chlorophyll or nutrient concentrations, and in only two cases were there differences in invertebrate production: gastropods were significantly more abundant in impoundments than in ponds in June, and trichopterans were significantly more abundant in impoundments than in ponds in July. For comparisons within impoundments and ponds, there were significant differences in invertebrate abundance between habitats and between wetland types. For example, plecopterans, trichopterans, and gastropods (all taxa combined) were consistently more abundant in shallow–Arctophila impoundments and ponds than in shallow–Carex impoundments and ponds. Thus, ponds and impoundments may differ significantly in invertebrate production, but we lack information on the amount of different habitat types (i.e., center versus emergent vegetation, Carex versus Arctophila) used by these taxa within each water body type. It is a reasonable speculation, based on results of this study, that impoundments and ponds may have similar value as feeding habitat for invertebrate-eating waterbirds. Thus the presence of impoundments may be consistent with waterbird management goals on the Arctic Coastal Plain.     

Comparing Environmental Conditions Using Indicators of Pollution Hazard

/ Land use/land cover classifications for 1973 and 1991, derived from the interpretation of satellite imagery, are quantified on the basis of biophysical land units in a study area in southeastern Australia. Nutrient export potentials are estimated for each land unit based on their composition of land use/land cover classes. Spatial and temporal comparisons are made of the land units based on the calculated pollution hazard indicators to provide an insight into changes in the state of the environment and the regional significance of land use changes. For example, one ecosystem, unique to the study, showed a large increase in pollution hazard over the study period as a manifestation of an 11-fold rise in cleared area and an expansion of cropping activities. The benefits to environmental management in general are discussed.KEY WORDS: Land cover change; Nutrient export; Environmental condition; Pollution hazard; Agricultural pollution; Nonpoint source pollution; Diffuse pollution; Environmental degradation