Denitrification potential enhancement by addition of external carbon sources in a pre-denitrification process

The aim of this study is to investigate the denitrification potential enhancement by addition of external carbon sources and to estimate the denitrification potential for the predenitrification system using nitrate utilization rate （NUR） batch tests. It is shown that the denitrification potential can be substantially increased with the addition of three external carbon sources, i.e. methanol, ethanol, and acetate, and the denitrification rates of ethanol, acetate, and methanol reached up to 9.6, 12, and 3.2 mgN/（g VSS.h）, respectively, while that of starch wastewater was only 0.74 mgN/（g VSS,h）. By comparison, ethanol was found to be the best external carbon source. NUR batch tests with starch wastewater and waste ethanol were carried out. The denitfification potential increased from 5.6 to 16.5 mg NO3-N/L owing to waste ethanol addition. By means of NUR tests, the wastewater characteristics and kinetic parameters can be estimated, which are used to determine the denitrification potential of wastewater, to calculate the denitrification potential of the plant and to predict the nitrate effluent quality, as well as provide information for developing carbon dosage control strategy.     

Emerging Tools for Continuous Nutrient Monitoring Networks: Sensors Advancing Science and Water Resources Protection

Sensors and enabling technologies are becoming increasingly important tools for water quality monitoring and associated water resource management decisions. In particular, nutrient sensors are of interest because of the well‐known adverse effects of nutrient enrichment on coastal hypoxia, harmful algal blooms, and impacts to human health. Accurate and timely information on nutrient concentrations and loads is integral to strategies designed to minimize risk to humans and manage the underlying drivers of water quality impairment. Using nitrate sensors as the primary example, we highlight the types of applications in freshwater and coastal environments that are likely to benefit from continuous, real‐time nutrient data. The concurrent emergence of new tools to integrate, manage, and share large datasets is critical to the successful use of nutrient sensors and has made it possible for the field of continuous monitoring to rapidly move forward. We highlight several near‐term opportunities for federal agencies, as well as the broader scientific and management community, that will help accelerate sensor development, build and leverage sites within a national network, and develop open data standards and data management protocols that are key to realizing the benefits of a large‐scale, integrated monitoring network. Investing in these opportunities will provide new information to guide management and policies designed to protect and restore our nation's water resources.     

Modeling urban solar energy with high spatiotemporal resolution: A case study in Toronto,Canada

This research presents a method to determine the maximum potential for the capturing of solar radiation on the rooftop of buildings in an urban environment. This involves the modeling of solar energy potential and comparison to historical building energy demand profiles through the use of 3-D solar simulation software tools and geographic information systems (GIS). The objective is to accurately identify the amount of surface area that is suitable for solar photovoltaic (PV) installations and to estimate the hourly PV electricity generation potential of existing building rooftops in an urban environment. This study demonstrates a viable approach for modeling urban solar energy and offers valuable information for electricity distributors, policy makers, and urban energy planners to facilitate the substantial design of a green built environment. The developed methodology is comprised of three main sections: (1) determination of suitable rooftop area, (2) determination of the amount of incident solar radiation available per rooftop, and (3) estimation of hourly solar PV electricity generation potential. A case study was performed using this method for Ryerson University, located in Toronto, Canada. It was found that solar PV could supply up to 19% of the study area’s electricity demands during peak consumption hours. The potential benefits of solar PV was also estimated based upon hourly greenhouse gas emission intensity factors as well as Time-of-Use (TOU) savings through the Ontario Feed-in-Tariff (FIT) program, which allows for better representation of the positive impacts of solar technologies.     

环境约束下大都市城郊土地利用结构评价——基于信息熵和非期望产出模型分析

土地利用过程中会产生期望和非期望产出,针对以往土地利用结构评价中忽略环境产生的非期望产出而影响土地利用结构效率真实性问题,以大都市城郊的上海青浦区为例,宏观上,运用信息熵模型对该区2005~2014年土地利用结构有序性进行评价;微观上,运用非期望产出模型测算青浦区研究期间土地利用结构效率,为寻求区域土地利用结构效率损失的原因及改善途径提供参考。结果表明:(1)2005~2014年青浦区土地利用结构信息熵值时序上呈现"M"形变化趋势,空间上由中部向东西两翼递减;(2)2005~2014年青浦区土地利用结构效率变化趋势在时间序列上呈现"W"形变化趋势,空间上由中部的中心城区向东西两翼递减格局;(3)将环境的负产出纳入非期望产出模型进行土地利用结构效率评价,能更加准确的反映土地利用结构效率的真实性;(4)影响青浦区土地利用结构效率水平变化的主要因素为纯技术效率的变化,资源过度消耗和环境污染物排放过量是制约青浦区土地利用结构效率提升的主要原因。针对土地利用结构效率损失的原因及区域差异提出效率提升途径。研究结果可为青浦区土地利用结构优化和可持续发展提供科学借鉴。     

多源信息融合技术在内陆湖库水华预警中的研究进展与展望

面对水体富营养化愈来愈严重,水华爆发越来越频繁的严峻形式;为减少水华发生频率及由此造成的损失,开展水华预警已成当务之急。水华爆发是水体中营养盐的累积、气候条件与水力条件等众多因素非线性共同作用的产物;为此,有必要在众多水华影响因素的动态监测信息的融合基础上,寻求水华爆发与这些影响因素间的影射关系,这就需要信息融合技术。通过归纳总结多源信息融合技术在内陆湖库水华预警中应用的研究进展,结合目前我国水华预警的具体需求,提出建立基于多源信息融合技术的水华预警决策支持系统的研究前景与初步设想。信息融合技术为水华预警提供了一个良好的平台,它将与水华相关的不同信息源（水文、气象、水环境质量与环境遥感）所提供的局部不完整的观测信息加以集成与互补,消除多源信息之间存在的冗余和矛盾,形成对水华爆发环境相对完整的感知与描述;从而提高水华预警与应急响应决策的效率,提高预警信息的时间与空间分辨率,扩展信息的时空监测范围。     

Landfill site selection using spatial information technologies and AHP: A case study in Beijing,China

Site selection is an important and necessary issue for waste management in fast-growing regions. Because of the complexity of waste management systems, the selection of the appropriate solid waste landfill site requires consideration of multiple alternative solutions and evaluation criteria. Based on actual conditions of the study area, we considered economic factors, calculated criteria weights using the analytical hierarchy process (AHP), and built a hierarchy model for solving the solid waste landfill site-selection problem in Beijing, China. A geographic information system (GIS) was used to manipulate and present spatial data. All maps are graded from 1 (lowest suitability) to 5 (highest suitability) using spatial information technologies. The candidate sites were determined by aggregation based on the criteria weights. The candidate sites are divided by ‘best’, ‘good’ and ‘unsuitable’ landfill areas. Best landfill areas represent optimal sites; good landfill areas can be used as back-up candidate sites. Our work offers a siting methodology and provides essential support for decision-makers in the assessment of waste management problems in Beijing and other rapidly developing cities in developing countries.     

Review of Russian language studies on radionuclide behaviour in agricultural animals: 3. Transfer to muscle

Over 150 publications reporting studies conducted in the former USSR were reviewed to provide transfer coefficients (F_f) to the muscle of domestic animals from experiments using chronic administration, often for long timescales in large scale experiments. Only a few of these studies were made available in the English language literature or taken into account in international reviews. The values derived have been compared with expected values reported by the IAEA's Handbook of parameter values for the prediction of radionuclide transfer in temperate environments (TRS 364) where possible. The information presented here has been used in the current updating of parameters recommended for environmental assessments by the IAEA. Many of the reported values are for Sr due to the Mayak accident and Cs due to the Chernobyl accident. Nevertheless, the reported data for a wide range of radionuclides, in particular for Ru, Sb, and Zn markedly improve the extent of available data.     

基于独立环境报告的中日石油企业环境绩效信息披露比较研究

有效的环境绩效信息披露是正确进行企业环境绩效评估的基础.本文首次依据全球报告倡议组织(GRI)<可持续发展报告指南>(2006年版)中的30个环境绩效指标,对中石油独立环境报告中环境绩效信息披露的研究发现,中石油环境绩效指标披露不完整,重要的核心指标披露情况更不理想,年度间纵向比较还出现了倒退;定性指标披露多于定量指标;体现企业积极行动和效果的内容和数据披露得相对较为详细;存在选择性披露问题,可比性较差,相关信息披露也较为散乱,不利于读者进行环境绩效评估.对此,我国企业应重视环境原始信息的收集和处理,将环境相关信息纳入企业日常的信怠管理系统,在披露方法上则应综合借鉴相关国际组织的做法并不断加以改进;政府监管部门也应对环境信息披露做出系统指引和规范,并积极推动环境报告审计的发展.     

论当代大学生的信息素养教育

国民信息素养的高低已成为一个国家在全球竞争中获得优势地位的关键,信息素养教育在全世界范围内备受重视。本文以信息素养为出发点,以当今高校对在校大学生信息素养培训的新要求为依据,通过信息的选择、检索、利用,个人创新和文化素养等五个方面的教育,论述了如何培养高校学生信息素养,使学生养成终身学习的习惯。     

基于信息熵评价决策模型的突发公共事件应急处置指挥方案优选

提出基于信息熵评价决策模型对突发公共事件应急处置指挥决策中的作战方案进行优选的方法。首先介绍应急处置指挥决策的概念和过程;其次,分析了信息熵以及基于信息熵评价模型的多属性决策方法;最后,给出基于信息熵的评价决策模型在突发公共事件应急处置指挥方案优选中的应用。实地演练表明,该决策模型在应急指挥决策方案排序与优选是客观合理、切实可行的,能够为应急处置指挥决策提供一定的参考。