A design for EoL approach and metrics to favour closed-loop scenarios for products

Recently, environmentally conscious design and extended producer responsibility have become key aspects for companies that need to develop products that are sustainable along their whole life cycle. Design for End of Life (EoL) is a strategy that aims to reduce landfill waste through the implementation of closed-loop product life cycles. It is important to consider disassembly and EoL scenario management as early as the design phase. For these reasons, this paper presents an approach to help designers in the evaluation and subsequent improvement in product EoL performance. The method is based on four innovative EoL indices that compare different EoL scenarios for each product component. In this way, the designer can modify the product structure or the liaisons to maximise the reuse and remanufacture of components as well as material recycling. The presented case studies confirm the validity of the approach in helping designers during the redesign phase of goods and products to reduce the quantity of materials and industrial wastes sent to landfill.     

Heavy metal contamination in the sediment and plants of the Sundarbans,India

Heavy metals are one of the hazardous contaminants in the total environment. The present study shows that the Sundarbans soil is contaminated with sludge and moderately contaminated with Cd and Co according to Contamination factor (CF), Enrichment factor (EF), Index of geo-accumulation (Igeo), and Ecological risk factor (ERF). The correlation, principle component analysis and factor analysis showed that Mn and Fe might have lithogenic origin whereas Cu, Pb, Co and Cd have anthropogenic inputs. The screening quick reference table (SQuiRT) shows that Cu and Cd may exert a possible toxic effect on the sediment dwelling biota. The phytoremediation study revealed that the endangered Heritiera fomes leaves can accumulate 80% of cadmium from the soil, which is highest based on this study as compared to other mangroves. The study also indicated that threatened date palm Phoenix paludosa leaves can accumulate 74% and 73% of Cu and Fe, respectively, from the soil. Now a day, there has been a spurt in mangrove plantations worldwide for the conservation of mangrove ecosystem using ecological engineering approaches. The present study is very much useful to choose a proper plant to decontaminate the soil from various heavy metal pollutants for effective management of mangrove wetlands.     

堆肥腐熟度的研究进展

评价腐熟度是有关堆肥土地安全利用最重要的问题之一。腐熟度指标可分为三类：物理学指标、化学指标及生物学指标。物理学指标易于检测,常用于描述堆肥过程所处的状态;化学指标得到了广泛研究和应用;堆肥过程是一个生物过程,腐熟度与未腐熟堆肥中植物毒性物质有关,可采用生物学方法进行评价。现在还没有一种公认的堆肥腐熟度指标。采用化学和生物指标综合评价腐熟度是目前最为常用的评价方法。     

Using optical remote sensing techniques to track the development of ozone-induced stress

In this paper, a literature review about optical remote sensing (RS) of O₃ stress is presented. Studies on O₃-induced effects on vegetation reflectance have been conducted since late ‘70s based on the analysis of optical RS data. Literature review reveals that traditional RS techniques were able to detect changes in leaf and canopy reflectance related to O₃-induced stress when visible symptoms already occurred. Only recently, advanced RS techniques using hyperspectral sensors, demonstrated the feasibility of detecting the stress in its early phase by monitoring excess energy dissipation pathways such as chlorophyll fluorescence and non-photochemical quenching (NPQ). Steady-state fluorescence (Fs), measured by exploiting the Fraunhofer line depth principle and NPQ related xanthophyll-cycle, estimated through the photochemical reflectance index (PRI) responded to O₃ fumigation before visible symptoms occurred. This opens up new possibilities for the early detection of vegetation O₃ stress by means of hyperspectral RS.     

Characterization of phosphogypsum wastes associated with phosphoric acid and fertilizers production

The present work is directed to characterize the phosphogypsum (PG) wastes associated with phosphoric acid produced by the wet process in industrial facility for the production of fertilizers and chemicals in Egypt. The PG waste samples were characterized in terms of spectroscopic analysis (X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, IR spectra) and radiometric analysis (γ- and α-measurements). The γ-ray measurements showed that the average activity concentrations are 140 ± 12.6, 459 ± 36.7, 323 ± 28.4, 8.3 ± 0.76 and 64.3 ± 4.1 Bq/kg for U-238, Ra-226, Pb-210, Th-232 and K-40, respectively. The α-particle measurements of uranium isotopes showed that the average activity concentrations of U-238, U-235 and U-234 were 153 ± 9.8, 7 ± 0.38, 152 ± 10.4 Bq/kg, respectively. The average radiochemical recovery (%) of the destructive α-particle measurements is ∼70% with a resolution (FWHM) of ∼30 keV. Activity ratios of U-238/Ra-226 and U-238/Pb-210 were less than unity (i.e., <1) and equal to 0.31 ± 0.02 and 0.47 ± 0.16, respectively. The isotopic ratios of U-238/U-235 and U-238/U-234 (in PG and PR samples) were close to the normal values of ∼21.7 and ∼1, respectively and are not affected by the wet processing of phosphate rock (PR). The obtained results of PG waste samples were compared with phosphate rock (PR) samples. The radiation hazard indices are namely, radium activity index (Ra-Eq > 370 Bq/kg), total absorbed gamma dose rate (D_γr > 5 nGy/h) and radon emanation fraction (Rn-EF > 20%). Uncertainty of the sample counting was 95% confidence level of σ. The results indicated the necessity to find suitable routes to decrease and/or redistribute the radionuclide of environmental interest (i.e., Ra-226) in PG wastes, consequently to reduce its radiation impacts in the surrounding environment.     

Geochemistry of high arsenic groundwater in Chia-Nan plain, Southwestern Taiwan: possible sources and reactive transport of arsenic

Major ion, trace element, and stable isotope analyses were performed on groundwater samples collected during November 2005 and 2006 in Chia-Nan plain of southwestern Taiwan to examine As mobilization in aquifers. The high concentrations of As, Fe and Mn in the groundwater is consistent with low Eh values (under moderately reduced state). Moreover, the observed Na/Cl and SO(4)/Cl molar ratios in groundwater demonstrate the influence of seawater intrusion. Seawater intrusion could provide required electron acceptors (i.e., SO(4)) for bacterial sulfate reduction and promote reducing conditions that are favorable for As mobilization. The concurrent increases in the concentrations of Fe and Mn from 2005 to 2006 may be caused by bacterial Fe(III) and Mn(IV) reduction. Geochemical modeling demonstrate that As(III) is the dominant As species and the presence of Fe-bearing carbonates, sulfides, and oxide phases may locally act as potential sinks for As. Mud volcano fluids were also collected and analyzed to assess the possible source of As in the Chia-Nan plain groundwater. The oxygen and hydrogen isotopic signatures indicate that the As-rich mud volcano fluids may have been modified by chemical exchange with (18)O-rich crustal rocks and possibly originated from mixing of deep brines with circulating meteoric water. Thus As in the Chia-Nan plain groundwater may have been evolved from deep crustal fluids or rock sources. The hydrogeochemistry and widespread As enrichment in groundwater of Chia-Nan plain result from multiple processes, e.g., de-watering of deep crustal fluids, seawater intrusion, and biogeochemical cycling of Fe, As, and S in alluvial sediments.     

Comparison of benthic macroinvertebrate indices for the assessment of the impact of acid mine drainage on an Irish river below an abandoned Cu-S mine

A range of macroinvertebrate indices were compared to assess the most appropriate metric for the assessment of acid mine drainage (AMD) in a low alkalinity, highly erosional river in south-east Ireland. Differences were found in the ability of indices to discriminate AMD impact with the Brillouin, BMWP score, Margalef and Shannon Indices the most precise. Taxon richness was also strongly correlated with AMD indicator parameters (e.g. pH alkalinity, sulphate, Zn and Fe) at impacted sites being an equally reliable metric. The response of the community structure to AMD in this river does not fulfil the optimum criteria for either diversity or biological indices, which may explain the variation in the success of different indices seen in this and other studies. The development of indices that model the expected community response to AMD more accurately or are based on the response of indicator species to AMD pollutants are required.     

1960~2010年长江流域极端降水的时空演变及未来趋势

本文采用长江流域内分布较均匀、无缺测站点的1960~2010年逐日降水资料,借助趋势和突变分析、R/S分析和水文频率分析等方法,研究该流域极端降水的时空演变特征和未来趋势。结果表明：（1）长江流域区域平均气候平均降水量（PAV）、简单日降水强度（PINT）、强降水贡献率（PQ95）、强降水阈值（PF95）、最大1日-10日降水量（PX1D-PX10D）基本均呈上升趋势,中下游各极端降水指数均大于上游,同时,中下游的各指数年际变化比上游更剧烈。（2）PAV与PF95的空间分布类似,但前者在流域中部地区下降、两侧上升,而后者为中部上升、两侧下降;PINT与PQ95的空间分布相似,均为大部分地区呈上升趋势,仅西北部下降。PX1D-PX10D总体上以上升为主,但随着持续时间的增长,下降的区域有明显的扩大,而上升的区域有明显的缩小。（3）未来长江流域极端降水将以现有趋势继续发展,并将以上升趋势为主,流域洪涝灾害风险加大。（4）遂宁站PX1D、安化站PX10D极端降水的频率分析表明,直接采用整体数据计算设计降水量会使结果偏于不安全,对于较长重现期的设计降水表现更显著,因此对于极端降水量发生显著变化的情况需要深入研究,探讨更好的设计降水估计方法。     

Measuring landscape integrity (LI): development of a hybrid methodology for planning applications

Landscape integrity data-sets represent a measure of a landscape's naturalness, or its inverse, the level of human modification. Generally referred to as human footprint modeling, a hybrid approach was developed here by incorporating distance, density, and spatially explicit fuzzy logic methods for quantifying the impacts of anthropocentric infrastructure on the landscape. Integrity scores varied markedly across this large and heterogeneous landscape. A comparative analysis among peer data products revealed that this model exhibited the highest level of correlation when compared to an independently derived expert survey of expected scores. Moreover, differences in correlation were found to be statistically significant in two cases indicating robust model performance. Data products such as these may be leveraged to quantify the nature and extent of human modifications on the landscape, identify highly natural areas for conservation purposes, and may serve as an overarching umbrella for guiding and coordinating large and local-scale planning efforts.     

南水北调东线工程徐州段河流生境质量评价

河流生境质量评价是河流生态系统健康评价的关键之一。本文评价自然和人为作用下的河流生境质量,以南水北调东线工程徐州段丰县、邳州两市输水通道上的河流为研究对象,结合环境特点,选择了反映河道生境、河岸生境和滨岸带生境的10个指标,给出了每个指标的评价方法和5级标准特征值,建立河流生境质量评价体系,确定评价指标的等级标准,对研究区内16个河段的生境质量状况进行综合评价。结果表明:(1)河流生境质量指数(IRHQ)综合得分介于33~91。根据评价等级划分标准,其中有50%的河段生境质量达到"优"等,其余介于"良"等到"劣"等,河流生境质量整体状况良好。(2)河流生境质量指数与NH_4~+-N、COD、TN呈负相关,与DO呈正相关,多项生境指标也与水质指标具有相关性,表明生境质量与水质的相互影响。