Ecological processes and sustainability

SUMMARY

Ecology has developed from its position as an obscure science to being at the interface of science and public policy. The impact of mankind can be described in ecological terms relating to population size, energy use and non-renewability. Sustainable development needs to be addressed on the basis of knowledge of ecological processes which maintain the environment in a state of change; the processes need to be conserved, not maintained in any particular state. Recent advances in the understanding of ecological processes are reviewed to highlight the potential contribution of this knowledge to the development of a sustainable policy. At the level of the population the significance of considering the extinction risks in the framework of spatio-temporal dynamics is now established indicating opportunities for planning land use more precisely to sustain biodiversity. Whilst the maintenance of habitats is generally the key to the persistence of biodiversity, they must be viewed as ever-changing mosaics within which cycles of succession, best described by Markovian sets of probabilities, are occurring continually. The extent to which these probabilities are distorted will determine whether the ecosystem returns to the same system or moves to a novel one. At the global level, biogeochemical cycles have a certain flexibility in relation to fluxes and stocks, hence pollution must be defined by relating the flow rate of the substance to this flexibility, which often permits the accommodation of anthropogenic perturbations. Non-sustainable processes can be defined in ecological terms, thus providing functional definitions of a sustainable policy and of sustainable development.     

人工甜味剂环境行为研究进展

人工甜味剂是一类人工合成或半合成的蔗糖取代物,由于人们对饮食健康的关注而被越来越广泛地应用于食品和饮料中.但是大多数人工甜味剂在人体内几乎不被代谢就随尿液和粪便直接排到生活污水中.近年,几种典型的甜味剂在水体中广泛被检出且浓度较高,同时研究发现部分甜味剂难以降解,因此人工甜味剂已被视为新型有机污染物而得到关注.本文就人工甜味剂在水处理设施中的行为及其在环境来源和分布的相关研究进行了综述,总结了水处理设施和水环境中甜味剂的污染特征规律,并对今后的研究进行了展望.     

Photochemical behaviour of musk tibetene

BACKGROUND: Synthetic musk compounds are widely used as additives in personal care and household products. The photochemical degradation of musk tibetene in aqueous solutions or in acetonitrile/water mixtures under different conditions was studied in order to assess its environmental fate. METHODS: Musk tibetene dissolved (or suspended) in water and/or acetonitrile/water mixtures was irradiated at different times by UV-light and by solar light. The irradiation mixtures were analyzed by NMR and TLC. The photoproducts formed were identified by GC-MS and NMR data. RESULTS: The experimental results indicated that musk tibetene was photodegradable in water or acetonitrile/water mixtures with half-life reaction times close to 20 minutes. The irradiation mixtures were separated by chromatographic techniques yielding three photoproducts (3,3,5,6,7-pentamethyl-4-nitro-3H-indole, 3,3,5,6,7-pentamethyl-4-nitro-1H-indoline and 3,3,5,6,7-pentamethyl-4-nitro-3H-indolinone) identified by means of spectroscopic analysis. DISCUSSION: The numerical modelling of the photodegradation concentration-time profiles gave (8.13 +/- 0.15) x 10(-2) and (1.34 +/- 0.04) x 10(-2) mol/E for the overall primary quantum yield of direct photolysis for musk tibetene and the major intermediate (3,3,5,6,7-pentamethyl-4-nitro-3H-indolinone), respectively, in the wavelength range 305-366 nm. The half-life times of photodegradation of the both substances varied from 1-1.5 hours at 20 degrees N during the summer season to 6-10 hours for highest latitudes in winter. CONCLUSIONS: Under solar light, musk tibetene was photolabile in acetonitrile and acetonitrile/water 1/1, while it was slowly degraded when suspended in water. In all media, musk tibetene was photodegraded into three photoproducts. By using a kinetic model, the overall primary quantum yields of direct photolysis of musk tibetene and its main photoproduct, in the wavelength range 305-366 nm, were estimated, indicating that the photodegradation rate for musk tibetene is faster than the photolysis rate of the major by-product. RECOMMENDATIONS AND PERSPECTIVES: The results indicate that, in order to assess the environmental impact of musk tibetene on the aquatic ecosystem, great attention should be focused on the major photoproduct which is proved to be more persistent than the parent compound under light irradiation. The predicted half-life times of direct photolysis for both substances ranged from 1-1.5 hours at 20 degrees N during the summer season to about 6-10 hours for highest latitudes in winter, indicating that, from a photochemical point of view, the environmental persistence of these substances increases by increasing the latitudes and during the cold seasons, making more realistic an intake of these xenobiotic molecules into the food chain of aquatic living organisms. Tanabe reports in his Editorial (Tanabe 2005) that "It is necessary to have knowledge of the global picture of synthetic musk pathways. So, it is conceivable that now is the time to study the transport, persistency, distribution, bioaccumulation and toxic potential of this new environmental menace on a global scale, especially in developing countries". Therefore, the future environmental analysis and investigations on the eco-toxicity of nitro musk compounds should take into account not only the presence of the parent compounds but also their photochemical intermediates or end-by-products.     

两种方法监测近岸大气NOX浓度的比较

分别用常规法和离子色谱法对近岸海域大气ＮＯＸ 进行同步监测，并对两方法间的相关性和测定结果的换算进行了研究。结果表明： 两者呈极显著的正相关，相关系数达０－８３５（ｎ＝ ９） ，其测定结果是可换算的。为此，建立了采用离子色谱法测定气溶胶ＮＯ－３ 浓度预测近岸大气ＮＯＸ 浓度的方法。     

二氧化硫在潮湿气溶胶表面的氧化速率研究

将稳定同位素方法应用于闽南地区SO₂在潮湿气溶胶表面氧化动力学研究中,在对大气中SO₂的稳定硫同位素及大气气溶胶中可溶性硫的硫稳定同位素丰度的测定的基础上,用硫稳定同位素动力学方程计算SO₂在潮湿气溶胶表面氧化速率与均相氧化速率比?结果表明:漳州地区潮湿气溶胶表面SO₂非均相和均相氧化速率之比:K非/K均为1.13,厦门地区SO₂非均相和均相氧化速率之比:K_非/K_均为0.36,这种差异主要是由相对湿度不同引起的。      

秋季典型光化学污染过程的分析

通过一个月的Ｏ３－ＮＯｘ同步观测和有关气象资料的分析,研究了光化学污染特点和及其和气象的关系,发现秋季的光化学污染过程,既有冬夏两季局地源产生和积累的机制,也有春季外来源造成的高浓度Ｏ３污染特点。Ｏ３的最大浓度和日最大值平均浓度分别为１６８．７μｇ／ｍ＾３和１１４．８μｇ／ｍ＾３。     

北京市冬季气象要素对气溶胶浓度日变化的影响

对2004年1月1—15日北京气溶胶浓度与相对湿度、气压、风速、风向等气象要素的平均日变化进行分析,结果表明:北京冬季ρ(PM₁₀₎日变化明显,受气象要素的日变化影响. ρ(PM₁₀₎与相对湿度和气压呈正相关性;风速对ρ(PM₁₀)的日变化影响明显,09:00—18:00风速和ρ(PM₁₀₎变化趋势一致,呈正相关性,其他时间则呈负相关性; 风向对粗、细粒子的数浓度影响不同,细粒子数浓度在偏东风时大,西、西南风时小,而粗粒子则相反;粗、细粒子的数浓度日变化受气象要素的影响程度不同,相对于粗粒子,细粒子数浓度更易受气象要素日变化的影响.      

Co(C3H6NS2)3·C6H12N2S3单晶的制备及催化性能的研究

采用常温饱和溶液蒸发法,一硫化四甲基秋兰姆与钴(Ⅱ)发生原位反应得到一种新型非均相Fenton催化剂单晶Co(C₃H₆NS₂)₃·C₆H₁₂N₂S₃;通过单晶X衍射、红外光谱和C、N和H元素分析对该单晶结构进行了表征;该单晶的空间群为P-1,在不对称单元中有1个Co(Ⅲ)中心,3个新配体C₃H₇NS₂和1个TMTM;Co(Ⅲ)呈现出稍微偏斜的八面体的配位几何构型.利用该单晶催化氧化降解了直接蓝6和直接绿28;结果显示,在酸性和碱性条件下,染料的降解率和矿化率都较高,这是因为活性中心Co(Ⅲ)提高了H₂O₂的效率.当投加量在1 200～1 600　mg·L^-1之间时,处理90　min后,直接蓝6和直接绿28的降解效率可分别达到94.39%和94.78%.相比之下,不加该单晶光催化剂,其它条件完全相同时,处理90　min后2种染料的降解率均不到45%,降解缓慢.使用后的单晶,通过过滤,可反复使用,有利于降低处理成本.此外还研究了催化反应的动力学,反应遵从Langmuir-Hinshelwood动力学模型;2种染料降解反应速率常数k分别为3.03×10²和6.25×10²　mg·(L·min)^-1,吸附常数K分别为1.52×10^-4和7.23×10^-5　L·mg^-1.     

内蒙古地区沙尘暴时间分布特征及其沙尘气溶胶TSP浓度值

沙尘暴是我国北方地区尤其是内蒙古自治区较常见的一种灾害性天气,直接危害工农业生产、人民生活。本文就内蒙古地区沙尘暴的时间特征,沙尘气溶胶TSP浓度值进行了论述,并提出了减轻沙尘暴危害、减少沙尘暴发生次数的建议。     

对中国城市环境地质工作的思考

本文回顾了国内外城市地质工作的发展历程，阐述了中国城市地质工人的发展方向和重点工作领域。指出城市地质工作必须服务于城市（城市群，经济开发区）的规划，建设和管理，为城市社会经济可持续发展，减灾防灾提供具有针对性，实用性和超前性的基础地质资料和成果。由于中国城市的规模，性质，自然资源承载力，地质环境特征不同，城市环境地质调查，评价的对象，内容也将有所差异。归纳起来，城市地质的重点工作领域为：城市可持续发展，城市可持续发展的资源开发战略与对策，城市地质环境容量及脆弱性分析。城市地质灾害：城市地质灾害风险，影响面，易损性及对灾害的反应，城市环境变化的地质指标体系，城市环境地质综合研究：城市环境地质调查评价的新理论，新方法，新技术，城市环境地质图纱的编制。数字城市环境地质：GIS平台上的地质空间数据库，城市地质环境动态分析，评价，决策系统和地质灾害预警预报系统。