Exploring the lay/expert divide: the attribution of responsibilities for coal ash pollution in Tuzla,Bosnia and Herzegovina

Invoking expert knowledge is a common strategy in attempts to settle environmental disputes. However, the validity of expertise is contingent upon the context in which an actor is recognised as an expert. In complex environmental conflicts the distinction between lay and expert knowledge is not always fixed a priori. However, as conflicts unfold, intervening parties tend to present their cases in ways that reinforce this distinction. This is apparent in the attribution of environmental responsibilities. This paper presents an empirical case of an environmental conflict related to land contamination due to coal ash disposal in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The analysis revealed two polar positions in the conflict: the first one, mainly held by scientists and industry representatives, invoked expert knowledge and presented a distributed approach to the attribution of responsibilities; the second one, mainly held by local residents and municipal officials, presented an experiential understanding of pollution, as lay knowledge, and attributed direct responsibilities to the local energy industry. The paper concludes that the persistence of the distinction between expert and lay knowledge is a manifestation of the social structures that underlie the conflict.     

Community epidemiology and environmental health risk from dioxin contamination in Paritutu

This article explores community-awareness perspectives and actions towards dioxin-related health exposure in Paritutu Community, New Plymouth, New Zealand. The actions are analysed through media reports, covering a 10-year period from 1998 to 2008. Since 1964, Paritutu Community residents have expressed concern about increased morbidity associated with dioxin contamination from a nearby agrichemical plant. Upon investigation, official agencies were at first unable to verify a causal link between dioxin and morbidity, precipitating community activism and increasing public pressure on relevant authorities. Residents played a major role in alleviating further damage to their community by analysing and evaluating data and providing information that ultimately resulted in both official recognition of their environmental health risk and preventative strategies to alleviate their morbidity. This article backgrounds the Paritutu Community Epidemiology approach and evaluates stages in how the Paritutu Community overcame indifference and lack of precaution and exerted influence leading to the removal of the source of contamination and positive policy changes in public health including the setting up of ameliorative health services for affected people. The findings of this research support theories of popular, lay, community and worker epidemiology.     

Field-breeding birds on organic and conventional arable farms in the Netherlands

In this study territory densities of field-breeding farmland birds were compared on pairwise-selected organic and conventional arable farms for two years. Differences in territory densities between the two farm types were explained examining the effects of three factors on territory densities: (1) non-crop habitats, (2) crop types and (3) within-crop factors. In both years, densities of most species did not differ between organic and conventional farms. Only skylark and lapwing were more abundant on organic farms, but only skylarks showed a consistent pattern over both years. Differences in crop types grown between the two systems were the only explaining factor for differences in densities of skylark. For lapwing, the difference was only partly due to differences in crop type, but differences in within-crop factors (probably as a result of crop management) were likely to have had an effect as well. There were no significant differences in abundance of non-crop habitats between the two farming systems, so this could not explain differences in territory densities.     

重金属污染土壤接种丛枝菌根真菌对蚕豆毒性的影响

采用盆栽实验的方法,研究了重金属（包括Cu、Zn、Pb和Cd）复合污染和接种丛枝菌根真菌（arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi,AMF）Glomus mosseae对蚕豆（Vicia faba）生长及DNA损伤的影响。结果表明,虽然接种菌根真菌对蚕豆生物量的影响并不显著,但是却显著影响植物对重金属的吸收,接种菌根真菌对蚕豆吸收4种重金属元素的作用有差异。采用单细胞凝胶电泳（single cell gel electrophoresis,SCGE）法研究接种菌根真菌对蚕豆叶片的DNA损伤的影响,与重金属吸收的结果相吻合。结果表明,接种处理可显著增加蚕豆叶片的DNA损伤程度,这与接种处理可提高植物的重金属吸收相一致。     

太湖流域有机毒物污染现状与控制对策

富营养化控制一直以来是太湖水污染防治的重中之重,但太湖流域的有机毒物污染也不容忽视,已对饮用水安全构成潜在的威胁。从分析太湖流域工业污染现状入手,提出了化工、印染为太湖流域有机毒物污染的重要来源,阐述了对太湖流域进行有机毒物污染控制的重要性,总结了太湖流域有机毒物污染控制存在的问题,在此基础上,提出了太湖流域工业污染源有机毒物控制对策建议。     

西昌邛海沉积物重金属含量时空变化与污染评价

通过对四川省西昌市邛海沉积岩芯10种金属元素全量与表层沉积物7种重金属元素全量和赋存形态的分析,研究了近百年来重金属累积和污染的时空特征及其在表层沉积物中的潜在生态风险.20世纪70年代之前,沉积岩芯中金属元素含量均较为稳定;70年代沉积物中Al、Fe、K和Cr含量呈明显的峰值,与流域降水量增加及围湖造田和毁林开荒等导致的细颗粒表土侵蚀输入有关;90年代以来,随着流域土壤侵蚀强度降低,Al、Fe、K和Cr等含量总体呈下降趋势,而As、Cd、Cu、Pb和Zn含量逐渐升高或较为稳定.富集系数结果表明,沉积岩芯中Cd、Pb和Zn受到不同程度的人为污染;其中Cd污染最重,污染开始于20世纪60年代,90年代以来保持在中等污染水平.表层沉积物中,Cd在西北部湖区含量较高,其余重金属含量空间变化趋势不明显;Cd、Pb和Zn的有效态质量分数平均分别为95%、63%和48%,其中Cd以酸可提取态为主,Pb和Zn主要赋存于可还原态和可氧化态中;其余重金属有效态质量分数平均值小于27%.重金属全量与有效态含量结果均表明,表层沉积物中Pb和Zn为轻度污染或中度污染水平,Cd平均为中度污染水平,但在西北部湖区达到了重度污染水平.基于重金属全量与有效态含量分别估算的表层沉积物中人为源Cd、Pb和Zn的含量较为接近（P>0.05）,说明人为输入的重金属在沉积物中主要赋存于有效态中.综合沉积物质量基准、潜在生态风险指数评价结果及重金属赋存形态,表层沉积物中Cd具有较强的潜在生态风险,其余重金属表现为低生态风险.     

硅肥等量施用对土壤镉生物有效性和水稻吸收镉的影响

为研究硅（Si）肥等量施用对水稻不同生育期吸收镉（Cd）和土壤Cd生物有效性的影响,采用5种不同种类的Si肥（SiO₂用量为225 kg ·hm^-2）开展田间小区试验.结果表明,随着水稻生育期的延长,水稻根系和茎叶的Cd含量增加;施用Si肥,不同生育期水稻根系、茎叶和籽粒Cd含量平均分别降低14.9%、28.2%和12.2%;硅钙镁铁肥（SiCaMgFe）和水溶Si肥（SiW）处理,籽粒Cd含量分别比对照处理降低21.1%（P<0.05）和21.2%（P<0.05）;水稻根表铁膜中Cd含量（DCB-Cd）随着水稻生育期延长而增加,施用Si肥,水稻不同生育期DCB-Cd含量有高有低,DCB-Cd是根系Cd含量的15.8%~42.8%;与对照相比,施用Si肥水稻成熟期土壤可交换态Cd （Exc-Cd）含量平均降低36.4%,其它形态的含量平均增加12.5%~48.2%.水稻全生育期根系Cd与Si呈极显著负相关,与DCB-Cd呈极显著正相关,DCB-Cd与土壤有效态Cd和有效态Si呈极显著负相关,土壤Exc-Cd与Carb-Cd呈极显著负相关,土壤有效态Cd与pH值呈显著负相关.施用相同Si肥用量,SiCaMgFe和SiW处理降低水稻Cd含量的效果好;施用Si肥通过提高土壤pH值和土壤有效Si含量、降低土壤有效态Cd和Exc-Cd含量,促进Exc-Cd向Carb-Cd转移,减少根表铁膜对Cd的吸附,从而减少水稻对土壤Cd的吸收.     

Bioremediation of Acidic and Metalliferous Drainage (AMD) through organic carbon amendment by municipal sewage and green waste

Pit lakes (abandoned flooded mine pits) represent a potentially valuable water resource in hot arid regions. However, pit lake water is often characterised by low pH with high dissolved metal concentrations resulting from Acidic and Metalliferous Drainage (AMD). Addition of organic matter to pit lakes to enhance microbial sulphate reduction is a potential cost effective remediation strategy. However, cost and availability of suitable organic substrates are often limiting. Nevertheless, large quantities of sewage and green waste (organic garden waste) are often available at mine sites from nearby service towns. We treated AMD pit lake water (pH 2.4) from tropical, North Queensland, Australia, with primary-treated sewage sludge, green waste, and a mixture of sewage and green waste (1:1) in a controlled microcosm experiment (4.5 L). Treatments were assessed at two different rates of organic loading of 16:1 and 32:1 pit water:organic matter by mass. Combined green waste and sewage treatment was the optimal treatment with water pH increased to 5.5 in only 145 days with decreases of dissolved metal concentrations. Results indicated that green waste was a key component in the pH increase and concomitant heavy metal removal. Water quality remediation was primarily due to microbially-mediated sulphate reduction. The net result of this process was removal of sulphate and metal solutes to sediment mainly as monosulfides. During the treatment process NH(3) and H(2)S gases were produced, albeit at below concentrations of concern. Total coliforms were abundant in all green waste-treatments, however, faecal coliforms were absent from all treatments. This study demonstrates addition of low-grade organic materials has promise for bioremediation of acidic waters and warrants further experimental investigation into feasibility at higher scales of application such as pit lakes.     

Ligand-assisted degradation of carbon tetrachloride by microscale zero-valent iron

Degradation of carbon tetrachloride (CT) by microscale zero-valent iron (ZVI) was investigated in batch systems with or without organic ligands (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), citric acid, tartaric acid, malic acid and oxalic acid) at pHs from 3.5 to 7.5. The results demonstrated that at 25°C, the dechlorination of CT by microscale ZVI is slow in the absence of organic ligands, with a pseudo-first-order rate constant of 0.0217 h(-1) at pH 3.5 and being further dropped to 0.0052 h(-1) at pH 7.5. However, addition of organic ligands significantly enhanced the rates and the extents of CT removal, as indicated by the rate constant increases of 39, 31, 32, 28 and 18 times in the presence of EDTA, citric acid, tartaric acid, malic acid and oxalic acid, respectively, at pH 3.5 and 25°C. The effect of EDTA was most significant; the dechlorination of CT at an initial concentration of 20 mg l(-1) increased from 16.3% (no ligands) to 89.1% (with EDTA) at the end of 8h reaction. The enhanced CT degradation in the presence of organic ligands was primarily attributed to the elimination of a surface passivation layer of Fe(III) (hydr)oxides on the microscale ZVI through chelating of organic ligands with Fe(III), which maintained the exposure of active sites on ZVI surface to CT.     

有机废气治理技术的研究进展

有机废气治理问题是当前废气处理的难点问题之一。本文首先介绍了几类传统有机废气处理技术的发展现状,包括吸附法、吸收法、催化氧化法、生物处理法等。对这几类有机废气治理技术的应用机理、适用范围以及现存问题进行了综合地比较与分析。最后,对于近年来出现的几类新型有机废气处理技术,如膜分离法、光催化氧化法、综合处理法的发展前景进行了一定的展望并列举了几类新技术的工程应用实例。