Perspectives on community representation within the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative: Experiences from south-east Madagascar

This article critically examines the nature and quality of governance in community representation and civil society engagement in the context of trans-national large-scale mining, drawing on experiences in the Anosy Region of south-east Madagascar. An exploration of functional relationships between government, mining business and civil society stakeholders reveals an equivocal legitimacy of certain civil society representatives, created by state manipulation, which contributes to community disempowerment. The appointment of local government officials, rather than election, creates a hierarchy of upward dependencies and a culture where the majority of officials express similar views and political alliances. As a consequence, community resistance is suppressed.     

厌氧折流板污泥对偶氮染料酸性大红GR的生物降解性能研究

研究了厌氧折流板反应器（ABR）活性厌氧污泥对偶氮染料酸性大红GR的吸附与生物降解性能,并与失活污泥进行了对比。试验结果表明,35℃时厌氧活性污泥2h、12h、6d的脱色率分别为78.2%、86.0%、98.9%。无论在反应初始阶段还是稳定阶段,ABR活性厌氧污泥对染料的去除效果都明显优于失活污泥。而且在初始COD为1152mg/L的,由于非有效吸附位置染料脱落等原因,反应期间,失活污泥混合液中染料浓度还会升高。情况下,活性厌氧污泥混合液出水COD为86.0mg/L,去除率约为92.5%。这说明ABR厌氧污泥微生物在短时间内便可以得到驯化,一旦厌氧微生物适应生长环境,生物降解便开始对染料发挥作用。     

Effects of cadmium on the activities of photosystems of Chlorella pyrenoidosa and the protective role of cyclic electron flow

Cadmium (Cd) shows high toxicity to aquatic microalgae. Many studies showed that Cd inhibited activities of photosystem II (PSII) but the effects of heavy metals on photosystem I (PSI) and cyclic electron flow (CEF) were still controversial and unclear. The effects of CdCl₂ on the activities of PSI, PSII and CEF in Chlorella pyrenoidosa was measured simultaneously in the present study. In presence of 200 μM of Cd, ultrastructure of some cells was strongly modified. Cd exposure led to decrease of the activities of photosynthetic oxygen evolution and respiration. PSII was more sensitive to Cd treatment than PSI. Cd treatment showed significant inhibition on the photochemical quantum yield and electron transport rate of PSII. Cd increased the quantum yield of non-light-induced non-photochemical fluorescence quenching, indicating the damage of PSII. The activity of PSI showed tolerance to Cd treatment with concentration less than 100 μM in the experiment. Linear electron flow (LEF) made significant contribution to the photochemical quantum yield of PSI of the untreated cells, but decreased with increasing Cd concentration. The contribution of CEF to the yield of PSI increased with increasing Cd concentration. The activation of CEF after exposure to Cd played an essential role for the protection of PSI.     

均等指数和两极化指数建立与比较

在基尼系数衡量收入差距存在一定缺陷和我国收入两极化概念不清楚的情况下,本文重点对基尼系数与两极分化的涵义进行了剖析,指出了两个概念的本质与它们之间的联系、区别。对以后的收入差距测量有一定的指导意义。基尼系数反映了所有个体偏离总体的程度,两极化指数反映二大组之间差异情况。在前人测量收入差距方法基础上构造两极分化指数I。结合中国和部分其它国家的数据,测量了三个指数并进行了比较分析,结果表明:三个指数高度相关,在一般情况下均等指数、基尼系数和两极分化指数都能大致反映收入差距情况。对组间、组内差距处理方法不同是基尼系数(均等指数)与两极分化指数最根本的区别。构造的两极分化指数具有直观、易于理解、意义明确、计算简单等诸多优点。因此在测量收入差距时,倡导优先使用均等指数。在测量只有二等分组构成总体的收入差距时,优先选择两极分化指数。实际研究中,可以根据研究的问题,合理地选择基尼系数,均等指数,两极分化指数从事相关研究。     

Photocatalytic removal of organic pollutants in aqueous solution by Bi(4)Nb(x)Ta((1-x))O(8)I

In this work, Bi₄Nb_xTa_(1−x)O₈I photocatalysts have been synthesized by solid state reaction method and characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope and UV-Vis near infrared diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activity of these photocatalysts was evaluated by the degradation of methyl orange (MO) in aqueous solutions under visible light, UV light and solar irradiation. The effects of catalyst dosage, initial pH and MO concentration on the removal efficiency were studied, and the photocatalytic reaction kinetics of MO degradation as well. The results indicated that Bi₄Nb_xTa_(1−x)O₈I exhibited high photocatalytic activity for the removal of MO in aqueous solutions. For example, the removal efficiency of MO by Bi₄Nb_0.1Ta_0.9O₈I was as high as 92% within 12 h visible light irradiation under the optimal conditions: initial MO concentration of 5-10 mg L⁻¹, catalyst dosage of 6 g L⁻¹ and natural pH (6-8), the MO molecules could be completely degradated by Bi₄Nb_0.1Ta_0.9O₈I within 40 min under UV light irradiation, and the photodegradation efficiency reaches to 60% after 7 h solar irradiation. Furthermore, the photocatalytic degradation of Bisphenol A (BPA) was also investigated under visible light irradiation. It is found that 99% BPA could be mineralized by Bi₄Nb_0.1Ta_0.9O₈I after 16 h visible light irradiation. Through HPLC/MS, BOD, TOC, UV-Vis measurements, we determined possible degradation products of MO and BPA. The results indicated that MO was degradated into products which are easier to be biodegradable and innocuous treated, and BPA could be mineralized completely. Furthermore, the possibility for the photosensitization effect in the degradation process of MO under visible light irradiation has been excluded.     

Influence of releases of I-129 from reprocessing plants on the marine environment of the North Adriatic Sea

Compared to the pre-nuclear era, large amounts of ¹²⁹I have been released to the marine environment, especially as liquid and gaseous discharges from two European reprocessing plants located at Sellafield and La Hague. Their liquid discharges influence Northern Europe and most research was conducted in the area of the North Atlantic Ocean and the Baltic Sea. In this article data on ¹²⁹I content and ¹²⁹I/¹²⁷I ratios observed in the North Adriatic Sea, which is a rather enclosed basin of the Mediterranean Sea, are presented. To the best of our knowledge no data on ¹²⁹I in the Mediterranean Sea have previously been reported. As this area is isolated from direct liquid discharges, the main transport pathway is probably gaseous releases from reprocessing plants. Surface sea water, the marine alga Fucus virsoides, an iodine accumulator, and the Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis collected in 2009 and 2010, and marine sediment collected in 2005 and 2009 were analysed. The ¹²⁹I/¹²⁷I isotopic ratios observed were in the range from 0.8 to 3.0 × 10⁻⁰⁸ for seawater, from 0.06 to 0.35 × 10⁻⁰⁸ for marine sediment, from 0.05 to 0.10 × 10⁻⁰⁸ for F. virsoides and from 0.3 to 0.9 × 10⁻⁰⁸ for M. galloprovincialis.     

Citrobacter sp.CK3对活性红KN-3B的脱色反应动力学研究

采用脱色菌Citrobacter sp. CK3,以活性红KN-3B染料为处理对象,在厌氧批式反应条件下,系统考察了pH值,温度和染料浓度对脱色反应速度的影响;通过动力学模拟及反应过程中染料的UV-Vis扫描图分析,探讨了脱色反应机理。结果表明:Citrobacter sp. CK3对活性红KN-3B的脱色反应的适宜pH为7～9;脱色反应速度在温度为32℃时达到最大。染料初浓度从57 mg/L逐渐增大到458 mg/L时脱色率逐渐降低。脱色过程中染料的偶氮键发生断裂,脱色反应符合二级反应动力学。     

Growth, photosynthesis and antioxidant responses of two microalgal species, Chlorella vulgaris and Selenastrum capricornutum, to nonylphenol stress

The effect of nonylphenol (NP) on growth, photochemistry and biochemistry of two green microalgae, Chlorella vulgaris and Selenanstrum capricornutum, and their ability to degrade NP were compared. The 96 h EC₅₀ of C. vulgaris and S. capricornutum were greater than 4.0 and 1.0 mg L⁻¹ NP, respectively, suggesting that the former species was more tolerant to NP. Both microalgae acclimated to NP stress through down-regulating their photosynthetic activities, including antenna size (chlorophyll a content), maximal photochemistry (Fv/Fm) and the light absorbed by PSII (ABS/CS₀), but the dissipation of energy from reaction centres (DI₀/RC) increased with the increase of NP concentrations. In C. vulgaris, the changes of these parameters were more significant than in S. capricornutum and recovered completely after a 96 h exposure. The antioxidant responses, such as GSH content, CAT and POD activities in C. vulgaris increased with the increase of NP concentrations after a 24 h exposure, but these changes disappeared with exposure time and recovered to the control levels after 96 h. In S. capricornutum, although GSH content, CAT and POD activities also increased when exposed to low- to moderate-NP concentrations, these values were significantly reduced at a high concentration (4 mg L⁻¹) even after a 96 h exposure, indicating its antioxidant responses were significantly delayed. It is clear that the more NP-tolerant species, C. vulgaris, acclimated better with a faster recovery of its photosynthetic activity from the NP-induced damage, and exhibited more efficient and rapid responses to NP-induced oxidative stress. C. vulgaris also had a higher NP degradation ability than S. capricornutum.     

Identification of phase II in vivo metabolites of alkyl-anthracenes in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Metabolism of xenobiotics is a two-step process that increases the polarity of compounds to facilitate their excretion. In previous work, the major in vitro phase I metabolites of alkyl-anthracenes by rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) CYP enzymes were shown to be predominantly ring hydroxylated metabolites. Here, we present the first report on the identification of in vivo phase II metabolites of alkyl-anthracenes in juvenile rainbow trout. Bile was collected from trout injected with individual alkyl-anthracenes with, in some cases, a co-injection of β-naphthoflavone (BNF). Some samples were digested with the β-glucuronidase enzyme to confirm the presence of glucuronide conjugates. The metabolites were separated using a water-acetonitrile gradient on a HPLC system equipped with a C₁₈ column and a UV-diode array detector. Trout with endogenous and BNF-induced enzymes produced the same metabolites, but higher concentrations of metabolites were detected after enzyme induction. Alkyl-anthracenes were metabolized predominantly on the rings as evidenced by the UV spectral analysis. Likewise, mass spectrometry and UV spectral analysis confirmed a predominance of glucuronide conjugates for all systems investigated.     

用萃取剂LIX84I从电子废弃物处理液中选择性萃取铜

考察了相比、水相pH、混合时间等因素对LIX84I萃取铜的影响,结果表明:这些因素对铜的萃取率都有一定的影响,最优化的条件是有机相为30%LIX84I+70%煤油、室温、相比=2:1、出口水相pH值=2.0、搅拌速度=910 r/min、萃取级数为3级,每级的时间为3 min.对铜进行三级萃取和一级反萃,可以得到符合电积要求的硫酸铜溶液,萃取率和反萃取率分别可以达到94.6%和97.8%.