Migration of Cs in tributaries,lake water and sediment of Lago Maggiore (Italy,Switzerland) – analysis and comparison with Lago di Lugano and other lakes

This paper describes the behaviour of ¹³⁷Cs in Lago Maggiore and other pre-alpine lakes as a consequence of atmospheric nuclear weapons testing fallout and the fallout from the nuclear accident in Chernobyl. It presents data on the ¹³⁷Cs distribution in tributaries, lake water, bottom sediments and reveals the role of ¹³⁷Cs as a marker of the sedimentation processes. The run-off of ¹³⁷Cs from the watershed to the lake is described with a simple compartment model. Measurements of the activity concentration of ¹³⁷Cs in sediments are compared with the output of a model (diffusion–convection type) which describes the input of ¹³⁷Cs into and its vertical distribution within the sediment. Varying sedimentation rates (0.05–0.90 g (cm² y)⁻¹) in Lago Maggiore are compared with data of other authors. Sedimentation rates and total distribution coefficients (of about 10⁵ L kg⁻¹) in Lago Maggiore are discussed and compared with those of Lago di Lugano, Lake Constance, and Lake Vorsee.     

Effluents from MBT plants: Plasma techniques for the treatment of VOCs

Mechanical–biological treatments (MBTs) of urban waste are growing in popularity in many European countries. Recent studies pointed out that their contribution in terms of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other air pollutants is not negligible. Compared to classical removal technologies, non-thermal plasmas (NTP) showed better performances and low energy consumption when applied to treat lowly concentrated streams. Therefore, to study the feasibility of the application of NTP to MBTs, a Dielectric Barrier Discharge reactor was applied to treat a mixture of air and methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), to simulate emissions from MBTs. The removal efficiency of MEK was linearly dependent upon time, power and specific input energy. Only 2–4% of MEK was converted to carbon dioxide (CO₂), the remaining carbon being involved in the formation of byproducts (methyl nitrate and 2,3-butanedione, especially). For future development of pilot-scale reactors, acting on residence time, power, convective flow and catalysts will help finding a compromise between energy consumption, desired abatement and selectivity to CO₂.     

Assessment of properties of Tunisian agricultural waste composts: Application as components in reconstituted anthropic soils and their effects on tomato yield and quality

Organic soil improvers are mainly used for their potential for preventing soil losses. This study investigates the physicochemical properties of six different organic soil improvers and their effects on the properties and productivity of reconstituted anthropic soils during short-term application compared to farm manure. Treatment materials were obtained from Tunisian agricultural waste composts (almond shell (AS), sesame bark (SB), olive cake (OC), olive mill wastewater sludge (OMWS) and poultry manure (PM)) as well as mixtures of compost-manure (CM). The characterization of soil conditioners shows that (i) nitrogen contents are higher in olive wastes and PM-based composts; (ii) carbon/nitrogen ratio (C/N) and the organic matter (OM) contents are in the ranges of 14.1-29.7 and 19.3-64.5%, respectively; (iii) the electrical conductivity (EC) is higher in manure (M) and compost-manure mixture (4.8-10.4 mS/cm) and (iv) pH values are alkaline (8.2-8.8). Treatments were applied as components of a reconstituted soil at a rate of 14 kg/m². Except for the manures, the mixtures of soil and treatment material (in a ratio of 600 L/28 kg) were placed in metallic basins to form the reconstituted anthropic soil. Plot areas of 2 m² were used for each treatment and 2 × 2 m² for the control. An assessment of the geochemical properties of soils during the cultivation period reveals variations in soil organic matter (SOM) contents as well as pH and EC values. Soil productivity is determined by quantitative and qualitative comparison of tomato fruits obtained from each plot amended with manure-treated soil.     

宁波市城区河道水环境综合整治效果评价方法及应用

城市河道水环境综合整治需要科学合理的评价体系来指导和评估整治工作绩效。针对城市河道的水环境特征,采用系统分析和专家调查法建立了城区河道水环境综合整治效果评价的指标体系与数学评价模型,指标体系包括目标层指标1项、准则层指标3项、评价层指标10项以及调查监测指标层15项,共4个层次。将建立的评价方法应用于2012年3~10月宁波市11条城区河道水环境综合整治效果的评价,获得城区河道综合整治效果评分值在48.4~91.4,评价结果可定量描述治理工程取得的环境效果,为城市河道水环境综合整治与定量考核提供依据。     

乌鲁木齐市城市环境综合整治定量考核初步研究

城市环境综合整治定量考核是中国为保护和改善城市环境质量而实行的一种行政性管理制度。该项制度目前采用20项指标,综合衡量一个城市的环境质量等级,并进行城市间的相互比较。乌鲁木齐市自1989年参加城考以来,成绩一直不理想,特别是环境空气质量得分不理想。本文采用通常方案和减排方案对2008年城考结果进行预测。结果表明,只有采取减排方案,才能改变乌鲁木齐市在全国城考中排名落后的状况。     

WATER YIELD IMPROVEMENT BY VEGETATION MANAGEMENT1

ABSTRACT: Vegetation management aimed at increasing the amount of usable water yield from precipitation falling on upstream watersheds may be one alternative for supplementing water supplies. Indications are that water yields can be increased within a multiple-use framework, which can benefit or at least be compatible with other natural resource objectives. Through changes in vegetation on a watershed, it is possible to reduce evaporation losses only slightly but significantly increase streamflow runoff. In an assessment of potentials for water yield improvement in Arizona, experimental studies on various vegetation zones are reviewed. Because of either limited acreage or limited rainfall, the alpine, grassland, aspen, and desert shrub vegetation zones are not realistic management areas for Arizona. Furthermore, manipulation of pinyon-juniper woodlands does not appear promising at this time. Conversion of chaparral to grasses and forbs does appear to be a possible treatment for water yield improvement, as well as various silvicultural treatments of mixed conifer and ponderosa pine forests. Streamflow increases are given for experiments in chaparral, mixed conifer, and ponderosa pine vegetation zones. However, complete information on possible constraints for these zones is not currently available. Specific assessment of water yield management options for riparian vegetation is difficult to make, due to incomplete knowledge of water yield changes and other constraints for this vegetation zone. Prior to the final adoption of management practices, results of experimental work must be coupled with economic and social considerations.     

不同酸雨梯度下3种酸雨处理对茶树幼苗叶绿素荧光和光合特性的影响

选择茶(Camellia sinensis)幼苗为试验材料,在盆栽条件下采用受控模拟酸雨喷淋的试验方法,设置3个酸雨梯度p H 2.5、p H 4.0和p H5.6,每个梯度下分别设计地上处理、全淋处理和土壤处理,测定其叶绿素荧光和光合特性.结果表明:在p H 2.5酸雨胁迫下,全淋处理显著减少了茶幼苗相对叶绿素含量(SPAD)合成、降低PSⅡ原初光能转化效率(Fv/Fm)、潜在活性(Fv/F0)、实际光化学量子产量(Yield)、光化学淬灭系数(qP)以及净光合速率(Pn)、气孔导度(Cond)、蒸腾速率(Tr)等光合参数,提高了胞间二氧化碳浓度(Ci)、光补偿点(LCP)和暗呼吸速率(Rd),地上处理作用下茶幼苗受到抑制作用其次,土壤处理对茶幼苗的抑制作用最小;在p H 4.0酸雨胁迫下,除光饱和点(LSP)、光补偿点和暗呼吸速率其余各处理值均高于对照组(CK),并且土壤酸雨地上酸雨全淋酸雨处理CK,而p H 5.6酸雨胁迫下,各参数变化为土壤酸雨地上酸雨CK全淋酸雨处理.可见,在p H 2.5酸雨胁迫下,全淋酸雨处理对幼苗的抑制作用最强;p H 4.0和p H 5.6酸雨胁迫下,土壤酸雨处理对于幼苗的促进作用最强;处理方式和酸雨强度的交互作用下Fv/Fm、Amax、AQY、LSP、LCP和Rd都具有显著差异,而SPAD、Fv/F0、Yield、qP差异不显著.得出结论为:酸雨对植物的作用机理随酸雨浓度而定,重度酸雨胁迫下,直接和间接作用都有;而中、轻度酸雨胁迫下,主要是通过土壤酸化后对植物起间接作用.     

二(2-乙基己基)磷酸络合萃取邻氨基苯酚的研究

以二(2-乙基己基)磷酸(D2EHPA)为萃取剂,研究稀释剂种类、萃取剂浓度、溶液的初始pH值、溶液中甲(乙)醇等因素对邻氨基酚(OAP)稀溶液分配比(D)的影响.结果表明:溶液的初始pH值在7左右时,D有最大值;D值随二(2-乙基己基)磷酸浓度的增大而提高,且在极性环境要优于惰性环境;甲(乙)醇是影响萃取结果的主要因素.     

Adaptation of plant functional group composition to management changes in calcareous grassland

It is the aim of plant functional research to generate general rules of species assembly and species reactions based on plant functional traits. Here we determined plant functional groups that are important with regard to land use types (grazing, mowing, mulching, burning, abandonment) and looked for mechanisms leading to changes in species composition after management changes in calcareous grasslands.To filter out the set of traits which best described the variation in plant composition along the studied land use gradient and to identify functional groups we chose an iterative three-table ordination method. We included traits related to persistence as well as traits describing the germination niche of a plant. To gain insight into underlying mechanisms which led to differing importance of these plant functional groups at different management regimes we investigated shifts in dominance of the identified functional groups at eight management regimes using long-term vegetation data of a site which was grazed before the onset of different management regimes in 1974. Ongoing unidirectional changes in cover of the four determined functional groups at most of the treatments indicated that even after almost 30 years new equilibria of functional group composition were still not reached.The study showed that other management treatments but grazing and mowing led to changes in functional group composition, which were mainly driven by increasing dominance of a highly competitive species group.