Novel mesoporous microspheres of Al and Ni doped LMO spinels and their performance as cathodes in secondary lithium ion batteries

A facile, scalable, and solution-based technique is used to fabricate Al and Ni-doped (LiAl_0.1Mn_1.9O₄ and LiAl_0.1Ni_0.1Mn_1.8O₄) microspheres of lithium manganese oxide (LMO) spinels for use as reversible cathode materials for lithium ion batteries (LIBs). The spheres of the two samples exhibit different porosities. Cells with these LMO-based cathodes are then cycled between 4.5 V and 2 V to study their stabilities while simultaneously being subjected to the undesirable Jahn-Teller distortion that occurs around the ~3 V regime. The LiAl_0.1Mn_1.9O₄ (LAMO) and the LiAl_0.1Ni_0.1Mn_1.8O₄ (LANMO) cells exhibit comparable open circuit voltages (OCV) of 2.94 V and 2.97 V, respectively. During cell cycling, the LAMO cell exhibits a maximum specific capacity of 122.51 mAh g^?1 with a capacity fade of 65.35% after 75 cycles. The LiAl_0.1Ni_0.1Mn_1.8O₄ (LAMO) sample fares better and exhibits a maximum of 140.49 mAh g^?1 and a capacity drop of 52.59%. Detailed structural studies indicate that Ni doping and the greater degree of porosity of the LANMO sample to be a stabilizing factor. This is further confirmed by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and AC impedance spectra analysis.     

Occurrence, source diagnosis, and biological effect assessment of DDT and its metabolites in various environmental compartments of the Pearl River Delta, South China: A review

This review summarizes and analyzes available data in the literature (mostly after 2000) on the occurrence of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and its main metabolites, dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane (DDD) and chlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE), in the environment of the Pearl River Delta (PRD), South China. Generally, the concentration levels of the sum of DDT, DDD, and DDE, designated as DDTs thereafter, have not significantly declined since 1983. However, the composition of DDTs residues has changed with time. DDTs in soil, freshwater sediment and freshwater fish species were mainly residues from chronological use. There is evidence that new point sources, such as dicofol and anti-fouling paint, may have contributed DDTs to various environmental compartments. Risk assessment against existing criteria indicated that the levels of DDTs in water and some fish species may pose adverse effects to humans or wildlife, and those in sediment/soil may also cause negative impacts to the eco-environment of the PRD.     

Regional impervious surface estimation: an urban heat island application

This paper describes a GIS-based estimation method that can be used to forecast future amounts of impervious surface as a mitigation measure for urban heat island effect in a metropolitan region. The method is unique because it employs a regression model that links the existing amount of impervious surface to population and employment at the census tract level. This approach provides a means to forecast future amounts of impervious surface based on projected population and employment. The method also includes a detailed analysis of high-resolution aerial photography to divide impervious surfaces into different categories. Subdividing impervious surfaces is necessary to evaluate potential urban heat island mitigation policies for different types of impervious surface. The analysis here shows that the impervious surface in the metropolitan Atlanta region will increase to 2638 km2 2. “The Albedo is defined as the hemispherical reflectivity averaged over the solar spectrum. A perfect reflector has a = 1, and a perfect absorber has a = 0” (Pomerantz et al. 1999 Pomerantz, M. 1999. Reflective surfaces for cooler buildings and cities. Philosophical magazine B, 79: 1457–1476. [Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] [Google Scholar], p. 1458). View all notes in 2030, an increase of 45% from 2000. The most common type of impervious surface is dark-coloured pavement. Within this study area, the analyses showed that two-thirds of impervious surfaces are dark. Replacing dark pavement with light pavement materials, therefore, represents an important opportunity to mitigate the urban heat island effect in the Atlanta region.     

Impact of European legislation on marketed pesticides — A view from the standpoint of health impact assessment studies

The very significant impact of European legislation (Directive 91/414/EEC) on the authorization of plant protection products is reviewed herein, which has resulted in withdrawal of 704 active substances (AS) out of 889 assessed so far. The list of currently approved 276 AS includes 194 AS “existing” in the market before 1993 and 82 “new” AS introduced during the last 15 years. Results of toxicity characterization of the approved AS are also summarized, utilizing several well-known databases. Although significant data gaps exist for a rather large part of the approved AS, it is found that 84 AS are positive for at least one health effect (after chronic and/or acute exposure) including carcinogenicity, reproductive and neuro-developmental disorders, as well as endocrine disruption. The toxicity characterization results of this study are compared to those of recent assessments by other organizations (KemI, the Swedish Chemicals Agency, and the Pesticide Safety Directorate of the UK), where interpretation and use is made of AS “cut-off” criteria foreseen in new EU legislation. These studies report a comparatively smaller AS number with positive toxicity characterization. The possibility of some additional AS withdrawal in the near future, combined with the rather small rate of new AS introduction (approx. 5 per year) suggest that the list of approved AS over the next 10–15 years may not change very drastically. Consideration of the above trends is necessary and instructive in evaluating results of existing health impact assessment (HIA) studies, as well as in planning new ones. Due to the very drastic change in the number and type of marketed AS, that took place within the past 8–9 years, it is suggested that new HIA studies (based on epidemiological data after year 2000) should focus on a rather short time frame and, therefore, on appropriate cohort groups, e.g. young children. For the same reason, results of epidemiological studies of the past (involving banned AS) should be carefully interpreted and used with caution.     

Effects of acute γ-irradiation on the aquatic microbial microcosm in comparison with chemicals

Effects of acute γ-irradiation were investigated in the aquatic microcosm consisting of green algae (Chlorella sp. and Scenedesmus sp.) and a blue–green alga (Tolypothrix sp.) as producers; an oligochaete (Aeolosoma hemprichi), rotifers (Lecane sp. and Philodina sp.) and a ciliate protozoan (Cyclidium glaucoma) as consumers; and more than four species of bacteria as decomposers. At 100 Gy, populations were not affected in any taxa. At 500–5000 Gy, one or three taxa died out and populations of two or three taxa decreased over time, while that of Tolypothrix sp. increased. This Tolypothrix sp. increase was likely an indirect effect due to interspecies interactions. The principal response curve analysis revealed that the main trend of the effects was a dose-dependent population decrease. For a better understanding of radiation risks in aquatic microbial communities, effect doses of γ-rays compared with copper, herbicides and detergents were evaluated using the radiochemoecological conceptual model and the effect index for microcosm.     

A review and test of predictive models for the bioaccumulation of radiostrontium in fish

Empirical relations between the ⁹⁰Sr concentration factor (CF) and the calcium concentration in freshwater aquatic systems have previously been determined in studies based on data obtained prior to the Chernobyl accident. The purpose of the present research is to review and compare these models, and to test them against a database of post-Chernobyl measurements from rivers and lakes in Ukraine, Russia, Belarus and Finland. It was found that two independently developed models, based on pre-Chernobyl empirical data, are in close agreement with each other, and with empirical data. Testing of both models against new data obtained after the Chernobyl accident confirms the models’ predictive ability. An investigation of the influence of fish size on ⁹⁰Sr accumulation showed no significant relationship, though the data set was somewhat limited.     

崇明东滩不同部位的季节性沉积研究

2002年4月至2003年4月,通过对崇明东滩南部、中部和北部的标志桩观测以及实地观测分析,发现崇明东滩在一年中不同季节冲淤变化过程存在很大差异：春季到夏季,南部以冲刷为主,中部和北部以淤积为主;夏季到秋季,南部和中部以淤积为主,北部表现为冲刷;秋季到冬季,南部、中部和北部都以冲刷为主;头一年冬季到次年春季,南部和北部以淤积为主,中部则表现为冲刷。在同一观测路线上,不同季节高、中、低潮滩冲淤也存在一定差异。通过对沉积物粒度、水体含沙量等指标的测试,并借助潮差等资料,探究了影响潮滩季节性沉积的因素,发现潮滩季节性沉积与潮滩基础地貌、水体含沙量、水动力、潮流等有密切关系;但在不同部位不同季节,各因素对潮滩冲淤影响程度各不相同。     

Important role of reaction field in photodegradation of deca-bromodiphenyl ether: Theoretical and experimental investigations of solvent effects

Photolysis of deca-bromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209) was investigated in tetrahydrofuran, dichloromethane, isopropanol, acetone, ethanol, methanol, acetonitrile and dimethylsulfoxide. Noticeable differences of the photolytic rates and quantum yields were found in the diverse solvents. Different to the previous deductions, hydrogen donating efficiency and electron donating efficiency of solvents were not the decisive factors for the photolytic rate in this study, which was proved by the fast photolysis of BDE-209 in CCl₄, a solvent without hydrogen and difficult to donate electrons. Besides hydrogen addition process, intermolecular polymerization might occur during the photolysis. Density functional theory (DFT) calculation was performed to understand the molecular properties of BDE-209 in different solvents. The lowest singlet vertical excitation energy (E_ex) and the average formal charge on Br () of BDE-209, reflecting the difficulty for the excitation of BDE-209 and for the departing of Br atom, respectively, were changed by the reaction fields formed by the different solvents. E_ex and linearly correlated with the photolytic activity (log k). This study is helpful to better understand the photolytic behavior of BDE-209 in different media.     

论绿色信贷政策实施效果的评估

“绿色信贷”是将环保调控手段通过金融杠杆来具体实现的一项环境经济政策。政策的实施效果需要通过一套科学有效的评估体系来保证。从绿色信贷政策实施效果评估制度的建立理念出发,对参与评估的主体、评估的程序、评估管理系统进行论证。     

水煤浆洁净燃烧技术在南海发电一厂的工程应用与分析

简要介绍了水煤浆的特点及其在广东南海发电一厂的应用,分析了水煤浆洁净燃烧技术的应用在减少SO2排放量及环境保护方面的意义。