Mitigating Impact of Devils Lake Flooding on the Sheyenne River Sulfate Concentration

Devils Lake is a terminal lake located in northeast North Dakota. Because of its glacial origin and accumulated salts from evaporation, the lake has a high concentration of sulfate compared to the surrounding water bodies. From 1993 to 2011, Devils Lake water levels rose by ~10 m, which flooded surrounding communities and increased the chance of an overspill to the Sheyenne River. To control the flooding, the State of North Dakota constructed two outlets to pump the lake water to the river. However, the pumped water has raised concerns about of water quality degradation and potential flooding risk of the Sheyenne River. To investigate these perceived impacts, a Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model was developed for the Sheyenne River and it was linked to a coupled SWAT and CE‐QUAL‐W2 model that was developed for Devils Lake in a previous study. While the current outlet schedule has attempted to maintain the total river discharge within the confines of a two‐year flood (36 m³/s), our simulation from 2012 to 2018 revealed that the diversion increased the Sheyenne River sulfate concentration from an average of 125 to >750 mg/L. Furthermore, a conceptual optimization model was developed with a goal of better preserving the water quality of the Sheyenne River while effectively mitigating the flooding of Devils Lake. The optimal solution provides a “win–win” outlet management that maintains the efficiency of the outlets while reducing the Sheyenne River sulfate concentration to ≤600 mg/L.     

Photosynthesis and related metabolic mechanism of promoted rice (Oryza sativa L.) growth by TiO2 nanoparticles

• The rice growth was promoted by nano-TiO₂ of 0.1–100 mg/L. • Nano-TiO₂ enhanced the energy storage in photosynthesis. • Nano-TiO₂ reduced energy consumption in carbohydrate metabolism and TCA cycle. Titanium dioxide nanoparticle (nano-TiO₂), as an excellent UV absorbent and photo-catalyst, has been widely applied in modern industry, thus inevitably discharged into environment. We proposed that nano-TiO₂ in soil can promote crop yield through photosynthetic and metabolic disturbance, therefore, we investigated the effects of nano-TiO₂ exposure on related physiologic-biochemical properties of rice (Oryza sativa L.). Results showed that rice biomass was increased >30% at every applied dosage (0.1–100 mg/L) of nano-TiO₂. The actual photosynthetic rate (Y(II)) significantly increased by 10.0% and 17.2% in the treatments of 10 and 100 mg/L respectively, indicating an increased energy production from photosynthesis. Besides, non-photochemical quenching (Y(NPQ)) significantly decreased by 19.8%–26.0% of the control in all treatments respectively, representing a decline in heat dissipation. Detailed metabolism fingerprinting further revealed that a fortified transformation of monosaccharides (D-fructose, D-galactose, and D-talose) to disaccharides (D-cellobiose, and D-lactose) was accompanied with a weakened citric acid cycle, confirming the decrease of energy consumption in metabolism. All these results elucidated that nano-TiO₂ promoted rice growth through the upregulation of energy storage in photosynthesis and the downregulation of energy consumption in metabolism. This study provides a mechanistic understanding of the stress-response hormesis of rice after exposure to nano-TiO₂, and provides worthy information on the potential application and risk of nanomaterials in agricultural production.     

Determination of Steroid Estrogens in Wastewater Treatment Plant of A Controceptives Producing Factory

Steroid estrogens such as estrone (E1), 17β-estradiol (E2), estriol (E3), and 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2) have been suspected to be the main contaminants, which can affect the endocrine system of animals. Many authors have investigated these chemicals in the domestic wastewater treatment plants (WTP). However, wastewater from industries producing steroid contraceptives has not got ample attention. From the environmental point of view, the four steroids are very significant because even very low concentrations (ng/L) can cause reproductive disturbances in human, livestock and wildlife. The main purpose of the present investigation was to develop an analytical method for the determination of the four steroid estrogens present in WTP of a pharmacy factory, mainly producing contraceptive medicine in Beijing, China. Analysis was performed by solid-phase extraction (SPE) system and liquid chromatography combined with tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS). The average recoveries from effluent samples ranged from 88% to 103% and the precision of the method ranged from 9% to 4%. Based on 0.5-L wastewater samples, the limit of quantification (LOQ) was determined at 0.7 ng/L for E1, 0.8 for E2, 0.9 ng/L for E3, and 0.5 ng/L for EE2 in influent, and 1.0 ng/L for E2 and EE2, and 2.0 ng/L for E1 and E3 in effluent. In the influent samples, average concentrations of 80, 85, 73 and 155 ng/L were determined for E1, E2, E3 and EE2, respectively, showing that they were removed in this WTP to the extent of 79, 73, 85 and 67%, respectively.     

Changes Of Hydrological Environment And Their Influences On Coastal Wetlands InThe Southern Laizhou Bay, China

The structure and function of the coastal wetland ecosystem in the southern Laizhou Bay have been changed greatly and influenced by regional hydrological changes. The coastal wetlands have degraded significantly during the latest 30 years due to successive drought, decreasing of runoff, pollution, underground saline water intrusion, and aggravating marine disasters such as storm tides and sea level rising. Most archaic lakes have vanished, while artificial wetlands have been extending since natural coastal wetlands replaced by salt areas and ponds of shrimps and crabs. The pollution of sediments in inter-tidal wetlands and the pollution of water quality in sub-tidal wetlands are getting worse and therefore “red tides” happen more often than before. The biodiversity in the study area has been decreased. Further studies are still needed to protect the degraded coastal wetlands in the area.     

基于火探管式的锂离子电池灭火技术研究

为研究锂离子电池灭火方案,基于火探管灭火技术同时利用新型清洁灭火剂Novec 1230,组装成火探管灭火系统。在灭火测试平台上以功率为200 W的电热管作为外热源引发单电池或电池模组热失控,通过改变火探管的布置位置,记录相应的灭火行为以及灭火效率,并对实验结果进行了分析。研究结果表明,当火探管灭火系统直接布置在电池正上方时,在起火后的5.6s内控制火情;随着灭火剂用量增加可以显著降低体系温度,防止电池复燃以及连锁热失控现象发生;火探管有效覆盖区域外的失控电池作为热源将继续加热临近电池,引发连锁热失控,造成灭火系统失效;根据电池热失控后的燃烧行为以及传热行为,提出相应的火探管灭火系统复合方案。     

化学环境下的应力-渗流耦合对尾 矿库稳定性影响试验

通过扫描电镜（FE-SEM）、能谱分析（EDX）、X射线衍射（XRD）、LMS-30激光粒度分析等室内试验探究了尾矿库内存在的酸、碱离子对尾矿颗粒的沉降、微观形貌、物质组成以及粒径级配的影响;建立酸、碱影响下的孔隙比与渗透系数的数学关系模型,并将建立的模型用来表征尾矿库内的应力渗-流场两场耦合机制,实现代入有限元计算软件的目的。结果表明:化学因素的存在影响着尾矿颗粒的多项性状,酸性环境下尾矿颗粒发生溶蚀,部分金属元素流失;碱性环境下尾矿颗粒间生成胶结物质,孔隙出现以含氢氧化铁为主的絮状、团簇状堵塞物,改变了渗流速度;尾矿库内浸润线高度在碱性、中性、酸性环境下依次降低,而渗流速度依次升高。     

黄山景观区域降雨微量元素化学组成及来源

通过分析降水化学成分,探讨黄山景观区域降雨的微量元素化学组成特征及其来源。结果表明,降雨中微量元素含量呈现明显的季节性变化,主要受到降雨量、pH值、风向及溶解有机质等因素影响。来源分析和贡献估算结果表明,降雨中Mn、Cu、Pb、Cd、Ni、Co等元素受燃煤和交通污染排放的影响显著,贡献率均在98%以上;土壤源和人为源对Fe的贡献率分别为76. 9%、23. 1%,对Ti的贡献率为22. 8%、77. 2%; Sr主要受海洋源(28. 3%)和人为源(70. 5%)双重影响。     

Locating Co-presence in Media Messages about Global Warming

This paper responds to recent calls for alternative approaches to the analysis of environmental communication that uncover overlooked voices in the discussion of environmental issues. Borrowing core principles from critical rhetoric, it suggests a way to categorize media messages according to how human–nature relationships are constructed in media discourse. The paper illustrates how, in presenting contrasting and often oppositional constructions of human–nature relationships, the media messages examined articulate three recurrent (but not equal) discourses on global warming. These discourses include (1) nature-as-out-of-reach discourse, (2) nature-as-antagonist discourse, and (3) nature-as-co-present discourse. By juxtaposing these discourses, the paper shows how environmental communication scholars can engage in critical realism and political advocacy to illuminate latent public discourse that holds the potential to champion marginalized voices of nature and accentuate the interconnectedness of humans and the environment.     

含氟废气对农业环境的影响

叙述了某厂氢氟酸生产过程排出的含氟废气对厂区周围水稻和蔬菜的污染及其与气象条件的关系，并提出了防止农业环境氟污染的措施。     

异波折板水解酸化-A~2O一体化反应器实验研究

设计了异波折板水解酸化-A2O一体化反应器,进行生活污水处理的实验研究。10个月的实验结果表明,系统的最佳水力停留时间(HRT)为8 h时,最适COD进水浓度为240~600 mg/L,最佳混合液回流比(r)-污泥回流比(R)为250%~100%。控制反应器于以上运行参数下,25±2℃所对应的COD、TN和TP去除率分别为96.84%、67.55%和81.92%。当温度降至7℃时,其COD、TP和TN分别降至86.35%、50.25%和65.68%。基于实验分析结果,阐明了一体化反应器高效性的机理在于异波折板水解酸化段具有高效传质特性和A2O段具有复合式活性污泥-接触氧化好氧池的特点。