Urban horticulture: its significance to environmental conservation

Urban horticulture, defined as plant production activities that are conducted in a city or suburb that produce horticultural plants that are wholly or partially edible, and which are economically viable, has the potential to reduce CO₂ emissions caused by the transportation of produce. Moreover, to increase productivity in limited areas and use limited resources effectively, closed or semi-closed systems (i.e., greenhouses) are considered more advantageous than open systems (i.e., fields) from which resources can easily escape into the surrounding environment. In this paper the significance of urban horticulture in reducing CO₂ emissions in the transportation process is discussed with reference to simple case studies. In the context of building or rebuilding greenhouses suitable for urban horticulture, the present situation regarding resource inputs and outputs in greenhouses is compared to that in open fields. The reduction of resource inputs and outputs in greenhouse production is also discussed.     

Energy metabolism and growth of Monoporeia affinis Lindstr. in the Northern Lake Krivoe (Karelia)

The physiological method for estimating production based on the relationship between growth and energy metabolism has been used for calculating model growth curves for the amphipod Monoporeia affinis and comparing them with the results of field studies. Calculations demonstrated that the physiological growth curves fit the results of field observations best under certain conditions which have zoological sense: the growth curve should reflect the actual maximum body size of an animal in the given population, the duration of the life cycle, and the time required for reaching the reproductive size.     

江苏省开发区土地集约利用潜力研究

开发区是土地利用的重要方式，特别是在促进土地集约利用方面起到了良好的示范和辐射作用。本文基于江苏省开发区典型调查的基础上，分析和测算了全省开发区土地集约利用的理论潜力，并结合江苏省资源禀赋特点和经济发展的制约因素剖析了理论潜力实现的可能性及途径。结果表明，江苏省开发区2010年和2020年的土地集约利用理论潜力分别为261km^2和1069km^2；若能在劳动生产率和工业用地容积率等方面有所作为的话，江苏省开发区2010年和2020年的土地集约利用现实潜力将分别达210km^2和869km^2。这主要通过注重开发区投资主体的多元化、软硬件环境的不断完善和提高开发区的用地门槛来实现。     

Persistence and mobility of 2,4-D in unsaturated soil zone under winter wheat crop in sub-tropical region of India

The present study was undertaken to determine the persistence and mobility of 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2,4-D) in unsaturated soil zone under real field conditions for the wheat crop in Roorkee, India. Three experimental plots were chosen in the agricultural field itself to represent the real field conditions in the study area and the potential movement and persistence of herbicide 2,4-D was investigated under three different irrigation treatments. The presence of herbicide along with soil water content was determined in soil at different depths at a temporal scale. The movement of the herbicide was also simulated numerically by solving the coupled soil water content movement and mass transport equations using HYDRUS-1D. The measured soil water content trends and the 2,4-D concentration profiles showed a good agreement with the numerically simulated results. The maximum effect of the herbicide was primarily retained up to 15 cm of the soil profile. The current existing dosage of 0.5 kg ha⁻¹ of pesticide was found to be safe to avoid soil contamination as no residue of 2,4-D was traced at the end of the wheat crop season in any of the plots. Higher concentrations of 2,4-D were also simulated numerically and the simulated results showed that the safe dosage of pesticide application would depend on irrigation treatments.     

Mechanism of lead immobilization by oxalic acid-activated phosphate rocks

Lead (Pb) chemical fixation is an important environmental aspect for human health. Phosphate rocks (PRs) were utilized as an adsorbent to remove Pb from aqueous solution. Raw PRs and oxalic acid-activated PRs (APRs) were used to investigate the effect of chemical modification on the Pb-binding capacity in the pH range 2.0-5.0. The Pb adsorption rate of all treatments above pH 3.0 reached 90%. The Pb binding on PRs and APRs was pH-independent, except at pH 2.0 in activated treatments. The X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed that the raw PRs formed cerussite after reacting with the Pb solution, whereas the APRs formed pyromorphite. The Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy analysis indicated that carbonate (CO₃^2-) in raw PRs and phosphate (PO₄^3-) groups in APRs played an important role in the Pb-binding process. After adsorption, anomalous block-shaped particles were observed by scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy data further indicated that both chemical and physical reactions occurred during the adsorption process according to the binding energy. Because of lower solubility of pyromorphite compared to cerussite, the APRs are more effective in immobilizing Pb than that of PRs.     

辽宁太子河沉积物重金属污染及潜在生态危害评价

为全面了解辽宁太子河底泥沉积物中重金属的污染特征,测试了太子河表层沉积物中重金属元素铜、铅、镉和锌的含量,并采用地积累指数法和潜在生态危害指数法评价了沉积物中重金属污染及其潜在生态危害程度。结果表明,辽宁太子河底泥沉积物中各种重金属元素的污染程度由强至弱依次为:Cd>Zn≥Cu>Pb;金属污染构成的潜在生态危害由强至弱依次为:Cd>Cu≈Zn>Pb,其中Cd的影响占绝对主导地位。     

不同堆沤处理对玉米秸秆厌氧发酵的影响

研究利用纤维素分解菌F2对玉米秸秆进行堆沤预处理,将经不同堆沤预处理时间后的秸秆与猪粪混合进行厌氧发酵产沼气试验。结果发现,堆沤15 d后秸秆的总有机碳含量降低了10.06%,VS去除率和纤维素降解率比未加菌堆沤预处理分别提高了10.74%、10.60%;加菌堆沤预处理后的秸秆厌氧发酵甲烷产气率、干物质产气率、发酵前后VS去除率均高于未加菌堆沤预处理后的秸秆,且产气效率也有明显的提高;加菌堆沤预处理10 d的秸秆比未加菌堆沤预处理15 d的秸秆提前了2 d达到产气高峰,累计产气量达到21 957 mL,比未加菌堆沤预处理15 d的秸秆增加了1 629 mL。实验结果表明:该纤维素分解菌对玉米秸秆纤维素有较强的降解能力,并在一定程度上促进了有机碳的矿化;有效地提高了秸秆的生物降解性能,缩短了预处理所需时间;同时提高了玉米秸秆的利用率和产气潜力。     

中国石灰生产和能源消耗分析

基于全国涉及石灰生产的企业全口径统计数据,分析中国2007年石灰生产的基本特征,探讨了石灰产量统计的不确定性和来源。2007年,中国石灰生产的企业共6 154家,涉及9 327座石灰窑。总产能为2.27亿t,共生产石灰1.06亿t,企业平均产量为4 000 t/a,企业生产每吨石灰平均能耗水平为163 kg标准煤。中国约有两千八百多万吨的石灰生产很难通过正规渠道统计上来,也意味着这些产量很可能是基于非常简易和高能耗的石灰土窑生产的。     

改性粉煤灰处理含铬(Ⅵ)地下水的实验研究

用硫酸改性的粉煤灰作为吸附剂,处理含铬(Ⅵ)为5mg/L地下水,最佳条件为:pH=2,液固比10000:3,25℃下反应3h。处理后水样铬(VI)浓度0.03mg/L,满足(GB/T 14848-93)《地下水环境质量标准》。在不改变原水pH条件下,增加粉煤灰用量,水样中铬(VI)浓度也可由5mg/L降至0.05mg/L。同时,吸附剂对铬(VI)的吸附符合Freundlich和Langmuir等温线。