The real effect of legal institutions: Environmental courts and firm environmental protection expenditure

This paper evaluates the real effects of environmental justice reform on environmental governance at the firm level. Using the establishment of environmental courts in China as a quasi-natural experiment, our difference-in-differences estimation shows that: (1) environmental courts significantly enhance environmental investment by firms, and this relationship is robust to different specifications and alternative measures; (2) three possible channels are the improved levels of justice and enforcement of environmental protection, and the mitigation of local government intervention; (3) our findings are particularly pronounced in subsamples with severe local protectionism, state-owned enterprises (SOEs), and non-SOEs with political connections; (4) at the city-level, environmental courts significantly increase air quality and promote cities to cross the inflection point of the environmental Kuznets curve earlier. Overall, this paper reveals the micro-mechanisms behind the real effects of environmental justice on firm environmental investment, thus providing timely implications for regulators concerned with environmental protection.     

Valuation of natural capital under uncertain substitutability

Natural capital is complex to value notably because of the high uncertainties surrounding the substitutability of its future ecosystem services. We examine a Lucas economy in which a consumption good is produced by combining different inputs, one of them being an ecosystem service that is partially substitutable with other inputs. The growth rate of these inputs and the elasticity of substitution evolve in a stochastic way. We characterize the socially efficient ecological discount rates that should be used to value future ecosystem services at different time horizons. We show that the inverse of the elasticity of substitution can be interpreted as the CCAPM beta of natural capital. We also show that any increase in risk of this beta reduces the ecological discount rate. If our collective beliefs about the elasticity of substitution of ecosystem services are Gaussian, the ecological discount rates go to minus infinity for finite maturities. In that case, a marginal increase in natural capital has an infinite value. We provide a realistic calibration of the model that is coherent with observed asset prices by using the model of extreme events of Barro (2006). The bliss maturity for infinite discount factors is less than 100 years in this calibration.     

The usability of oxidative stress and detoxification biomarkers in Gammarus pulex for ecological risk assessment of textile dye methyl orange

The present study was undertaken to determine the toxicity of the methyl orange by using the changes of some antioxidant and detoxification enzyme activities in Gammarus pulex. Lethal Concentration (LC) value of Methyl Orange (MO) was determined. Three sublethal doses of MO (1/4; 1/8 and 1/16 of LC value) were exposed to G. pulex for 24 and 96?h. Superoxide dismutase (SOD), Catalase (CAT), Glutathione peroxidase (GSH-P_X), Cytochrome p450 (CYP1A1), Glutathione S-transferase (GST) activities as well as Glutathione (GSH) and Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were determined by using The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. The CAT and CYP1A1 activities were decreased in all the groups exposed to different doses of MO. GST activity and GSH, MDA levels were increased all the groups exposed to different doses of MO. The GSH-P_X activities were changed in all the groups. MO affected SOD activity at different levels and in different concentrations. In our study, it has been found that exposure duration didn’t significantly affect the biochemical biomarkers except for GST and GSH. In conclusion, alterations in antioxidant and detoxification enzymes and lipid peroxidation may potentially be used as sensitive biomarkers for risk assessment of dyes in the environment and may contribute to the establishment of discharge regulations.     

环境污染应急处置技术的CBR-MADM两步筛选法模型

突发环境污染事件进行应急处置时,需要在历史案例库和处置技术库的基础上通过筛选模型筛选出最适宜的应急处置技术.其中筛选的效率和准确性是构建技术筛选模型的首要因素,目前尚无较为满意的解决方案.本文结合案例推理技术(CBR)和模糊多属性群决策模型(MADM)的优势,建立了环境污染应急处置技术的CBR-MADM两步筛选法模型:第1步,先利用基于熵权G1法的CBR推理从案例库中匹配案例,再从相似度最高的几个案例中提取应急处置技术作为备选技术;第2步,利用MADM对备选技术进行筛选和决策.CBR-MADM两步筛选法既充分利用了历史处置经验,又极大地提高了应急处置技术的筛选速度和效率.将该方法应用于2012年底山西长治浊漳河苯胺泄漏污染事件中,成功筛选出“投加混凝剂-活性炭坝拦截”技术,同实际情况吻合,验证了其适用性和可行性.     

Investigation of the blood biochemical status of gas station workers

The aim of this study was to examine occupation-associated effects on blood cytokine and immunoglobulin g (IgG) levels, antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, GSHPx, and catalase), nitrite and nitrate levels, and malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations in gas station workers (GSWs). Trace elements (Cu, Zn, and Pb) in serum, and the amount of hemoglobin in erythrocytes were also determined. Forty male GSWs and 30 male controls were included in the study. No significant difference was observed between the hemoglobin levels of GSWs and those in controls. Proinflammatory cytokine levels, such as tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-8 were significantly increased in GSWs’ sera. Interleukin-1β and interleukin-6 were below the detection limit of the assay in both the groups. Cytokine receptor interleukin 2R concentration and IgG levels were also significantly increased. Approximately, two-fold increase in nitrite and nitrate concentrations was found in GSWs’ sera. Erythrocyte antioxidant enzyme levels were significantly lower in GSWs’ blood. MDA concentration, a measure of lipid peroxidation, was found to be significantly elevated. Zn levels were significantly decreased, whereas Cu and Pb levels were increased in GSWs’ sera. Smoking was not found to be a major confounder for the association between exposure and blood parameters.     

Ethyl mercury induces Ca2+ uptake through the P2×7 receptor in a mouse cerebellar microglia cell line

Many observations are reported that organic mercury compounds are involved in increasing intracellular Ca²⁺ levels. However, the issue of which substances on the cell membrane participate in the Ca²⁺ uptake that is induced by ethyl mercury is unclear. The findings of this study suggest that the P2X receptor participates in this process. The uptake of Ca²⁺ by C8-B4 cells was induced in the presence of ethyl mercury. Ca channels in the cell membrane were not affected in this process. In contrast, pretreatment with suramin, an antagonist of the P2X receptor, inhibited the Ca²⁺ uptake induced by ethyl mercury, and also brilliant blue G, a nonselective antagonist of P2×4, P2×5, and P2×7 receptors. In addition, A438079 and A740003, selective antagonists of P2×7 receptor, reduced Ca²⁺ uptake, while 5-BDBD, a selective antagonist of P2×4 receptor, did not. Furthermore, the mRNAs of both the P2×4 and P2×7 receptors were expressed in the presence of ethyl mercury, but the P2×5 receptor mRNA was not. These findings suggest that ethyl mercury may induce Ca²⁺ uptake through the P2×7 receptor of the cell membrane.     

新型干法水泥熟料项目环境影响评价要点分析

通过对水泥行业各不利因素进行分析,提出节能生产工艺、脱硝控制、生态保护、降噪等方法和措施。通过在环境影响评价中提出以上要求措施,以环境监理和验收作为落实手段,在建设期将各类环保措施落实到位,以期在新建水泥行业实现先期预防、清洁生产的结果。     

第三代移动通信技术在消防中的运用

移动通信网络技术、语音业务、宽带数据业务、规划与优化、管理与维护和新业务开放等方面技术日益成熟,功能日趋完善.本文通过对TD-SCDMA、WCDMA、CDMA2000三种不同的3G移动通信标准原理、终端、组网、业务、优化与规划等方面的比较,提出在消防通信领域运用第三代移动通信技术的具体方案.     

臭氧氧化降解水中青霉素G特性和动力学特征

为考察水中PCN（青霉素G）在臭氧氧化过程中的降解规律与特征,采用臭氧直接氧化法处理模拟废水中的PCN,研究了初始pH、ρ（臭氧）、初始ρ（PCN）、自由基抑制剂TBA（叔丁醇）、反应温度等对水中PCN去除效果的影响,并分析了PCN在臭氧氧化降解过程中的降解特性和动力学特征.结果表明:①在溶液体积为1 L、初始ρ（PCN）为50 mg/L、初始pH为11、ρ（臭氧）为15 mg/L、反应温度为20℃时,反应5 min时PCN去除率为100%,反应2 h时TOC去除率为28.98%.②PCN的降解速率和TOC去除效果随pH的增大而升高,碱性环境有利于PCN的矿化.③臭氧氧化过程中,PCN的降解以臭氧直接氧化为主,其降解中间产物的矿化主要以臭氧间接氧化为主,TBA可抑制强氧化性羟基自由基的产生效率,因而对TOC的矿化有明显的抑制作用.④对PCN的降解过程进行一级、伪一级和二级动力学方程拟合,结果表明,伪一级动力学方程拟合相关性（R2=0.999 7）最高,k（反应速率常数）最大值为0.825 5 min-1.研究显示,臭氧直接氧化可有效降解水中PCN,但对中间产物的矿化去除效果较为有限,臭氧氧化降解PCN的过程遵循伪一级反应动力学方程.      

基于PSRM模型的京津冀地区生态脆弱性时空演变

京津冀地区作为中国三大城市群之一,经济实力雄厚,但其生态脆弱性问题十分突出,为达到经济-社会-生态综合发展,对京津冀地区生态环境现状进行分析显得尤为重要.基于PSRM模型,选取PM_2.5、PM₁₀和土壤侵蚀强度等19项代表性指标,结合序关系法、CRITIC法、锡尔系数、热点分析和地理探测器等方法探究京津冀地区生态脆弱性时空演变特征及影响因素.结果表明,京津冀地区在2009~2019年：①生态脆弱性先升后降,脆弱区大体呈现"东北-西南"走向,东北、西南部生态环境优于中南、西北部;②空间相关程度呈"V"形浮动,冷热点区域与脆弱性空间格局基本一致;③研究区内生物丰度、PM₁₀和人类干扰指数对京津冀地区生态脆弱性影响力较大.最后根据生态脆弱性分析结果,对京津冀地区生态环境与可持续发展提出建议.