Why the poor pay with their lives: oil pipeline vandalisation, fires and human security in Nigeria

Since its discovery in Nigeria in 1956 crude oil has been a source of mixed blessing to the country. It is believed to have generated enormous wealth, but it has also claimed a great many lives. Scholarly attention on the impact of oil on security in Nigeria has largely focused on internal conflicts rather than on how disasters associated with oil pipeline vandalisation have impacted on human security in terms of causing bodily injuries and death, destroying livelihoods and fracturing families. This paper examines how pipeline vandalisation affects human security in these ways. It identifies women and children as those who are hardest hit and questions why the poor are the most vulnerable in oil pipeline disasters in this country. It recommends the adoption of a comprehensive and integrated framework of disaster management that will ensure prompt response to key early warning signs, risk-reduction and appropriate mitigation and management strategies.     

Cost-Effective Management Alternatives for Snake River Chinook Salmon: a Biological-Economic Synthesis

Abstract: The mandate to increase endangered salmon populations in the Columbia River Basin of North America has created a complex, controversial resource‐management issue. We constructed an integrated assessment model as a tool for analyzing biological‐economic trade‐offs in recovery of Snake River spring‐ and summer‐run chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha). We merged 3 frameworks: a salmon‐passage model to predict migration and survival of smolts; an age‐structured matrix model to predict long‐term population growth rates of salmon stocks; and a cost‐effectiveness analysis to determine a set of least‐cost management alternatives for achieving particular population growth rates. We assessed 6 individual salmon‐management measures and 76 management alternatives composed of one or more measures. To reflect uncertainty, results were derived for different assumptions of effectiveness of smolt transport around dams. Removal of an estuarine predator, the Caspian Tern (Sterna caspia), was cost‐effective and generally increased long‐term population growth rates regardless of transport effectiveness. Elimination of adult salmon harvest had a similar effect over a range of its cost estimates. The specific management alternatives in the cost‐effective set depended on assumptions about transport effectiveness. On the basis of recent estimates of smolt transport effectiveness, alternatives that discontinued transportation or breached dams were prevalent in the cost‐effective set, whereas alternatives that maximized transportation dominated if transport effectiveness was relatively high. More generally, the analysis eliminated 80–90% of management alternatives from the cost‐effective set. Application of our results to salmon management is limited by data availability and model assumptions, but these limitations can help guide research that addresses critical uncertainties and information. Our results thus demonstrate that linking biology and economics through integrated models can provide valuable tools for science‐based policy and management.     

An integrated test strategy for the assessment of anaerobic biodegradability of wastewaters

The anaerobic biodegradability of wastewaters from different chemical plants was determined by an integrated test strategy consisting of an anaerobic toxicity test, a static anaerobic biodegradation test and a continuously operated fixed bed reactor test. This integrated procedure offered a useful tool for screening wastewaters for anaerobic biodegradability. Four different wastewaters were tested for anaerobic toxicity and biodegradability. One wastewater was used in subsequent testing in a fixed bed reactor which aimed to illustrate a potential design of an anaerobic treatment plant.     

大城市群(圈)资源环境一体化与区域可持续发展研究——以珠江三角洲城市群为例

21世纪，全球竞争的基本单位将是以中心城市为核心的城市群（圈）。基于对大城市群发展趋势及其环境问题的基本认识，文章以珠江三角洲城市群为例，分析了其发展现状及存在环境问题，阐述了珠三角城市群未来发展趋势，初步给出了城市群环境问题解决的途径，提出了珠三角城市群资源环境一体化的框架和区域可持续发展模式。     

温度对一体式厌氧流化床膜生物反应器运行效能及微生物群落结构的影响

本研究采用一体式厌氧流化床膜生物反应器（integrated anaerobic fluidized-bed membrane bioreactor,IAFMBR）处理含苯并噻唑的高浓度合成废水,考察了温度变化（35、25和15℃）对反应器运行效能,膜污染情况和微生物群落结构的影响.结果表明,温度下降对反应器运行效能和膜污染情况产生不利影响.当温度从35℃下降到15℃时,COD去除率下降7.4%,苯并噻唑去除率下降49.2%,挥发酸总量上升225.66 mg·L^-1,甲烷产率（以CH₄/COD_removed计）下降0.118m³·kg^-1.膜污染周期从5.2 d下降到2.5 d.对于滤饼层而言,达到膜污染时,SMP（soluble microbial product）的质量浓度从42.47 mg·L^-1上升到70.62 mg·L^-1,EPS（extracellular polymeric substance）的含量（以VSS计）从46.30 mg·g^-1上升到82.22 mg·g^-1;对于混合液而言,SMP的质量浓度从36.46 mg·L^-1上升到69.35 mg·L^-1,EPS的含量从47.47 mg·g^-1上升到81.63 mg·g^-1.蛋白质是EPS和SMP的主要成分,约占总成分的80%.微生物群落结构表明,Firmicutes（厚壁菌门）和Chloroflexi（绿弯菌门）始终是最优势的菌门,占全部菌门相对丰度的42.6%~61.0%.随着温度的下降,优势菌属分别是Clostridium（13.7%）,Levilinea（15.2%）和Lactococus（17.9%）.产甲烷古菌的优势菌属始终是Methanosaeta.     

一体式絮体-超滤工艺去除腐殖酸效能与机制

近年来,一体式吸附剂-超滤膜组合工艺以其效率高、膜污染程度低且占地面积小等优势逐渐在水处理中广泛应用.然而,目前所用吸附剂多为颗粒型,如粉末活性炭、碳纳米管、纳米铁等.不仅长期运行极易引起膜表面损伤,且多数吸附剂成本较高.为有效克服上述问题,以水处理中广泛应用的铝盐混凝剂水解絮体为吸附剂,以天然水体中普遍存在的腐殖酸为目标污染物,考察了松散且密度低的絮体直接注入膜池后腐殖酸的去除效率及膜污染行为.结果表明,曝气方式、絮体注入频率及注入量均能不同程度地影响该组合工艺效能.与间歇曝气和一次性注入相比,采用连续曝气且分批次注入时,絮体在膜表面形成松散"保护膜",充分发挥了絮体作用,腐殖酸去除效率较高,膜污染程度显著降低.单独HA污染超滤膜时,5d内跨膜压差急剧增至74.8 k Pa,而连续曝气且每次2 d注入5.4 mmol·L-1絮体运行8 d后跨膜压差仅增至6.3 k Pa.此时HA去除率为73.3%(8 d),远高于无絮体注入时(5 d,32.1%).此外,分批次注入絮体时仅有少量腐殖酸吸附于膜孔,松散滤饼层为主要污染方式,且单次注入量越大,运行结束经水洗后膜表面平均孔径也越大.本研究表明一体式松散絮体-超滤膜组合工艺在水处理中具有潜在应用前景.     

北京地区大气氨时空变化特征

在北京城区和上甸子本底地区分别开展了为期3a和1a的NH₃在线观测,并结合风向、风速、温度、相对湿度等气象因素的变化特征,分析了北京地区NH₃浓度水平、年季特征及影响因素.结果发现,北京城区和本底地区的NH₃年均浓度分别为（32.5±20.8）×10^-9V/V和（11.6±10.3）×10^-9V/V,北京城区的NH₃浓度高于大多数国内外主要城市和地区的NH₃浓度水平.城区和本底地区NH₃浓度年变化特征为夏季高,分别为（34.1±6.8）×10^-9V/V和（11.1±2.2）×10^-9V/V,冬季低,分别为（19.7±9.3）×10^-9V/V和（2.4±0.6）×10^-9V/V.NH₃的日变化特征受气象因素影响明显,其结果表明,春季城区NH₃浓度峰值出现在15：00,而本底地区受西南风影响在20：00达到峰值;夏季城区NH₃浓度最高值在7：00出现,本底地区则呈现双峰值（分别在09：00和22：00）;秋季城区和本底地区的日变化规律一致,均在22：00出现峰值;冬季城区的峰值出现时间晚于本底地区,峰值分别出现在23：00和20：00.西南风是造成本底地区NH₃浓度升高的主要原因,春季和夏季,随着西南向风速的增大,NH₃浓度显著升高.城区的NH₃浓度则主要受到局地排放的影响.浓度权重轨迹法的研究结果发现,北京、天津、河北及河南北部地区是影响北京地区大气NH₃的主要源区.     

基于生命周期视角的种养一体化奶牛场环境经济效益评估

准确评估种养一体化奶牛场的经济性能与环境绩效,是相关支持政策制定的基础,也是促进奶业低碳生产的关键.本文基于生命周期视角,对非种养一体化奶牛场（non-IPBS）和种养一体化奶牛场（IPBS）养殖过程中的温室气体排放、能源消耗、水消耗、土地占用等环境成本和经济效益进行评估.结果表明,non-IPBS生产1t标准牛奶（FPCM）的净收益为1427元,而IPBS的实际净收益提高7%,如果青贮玉米自给率从当前的32%提升到100%,则实际净收益将提高19%,同时,该净收益的提高率取决于耕地流转费用,临界点为14695元/hm²;相比non-IPBS,IPBS生产1tFPCM的温室气体排放、能源消耗、水消耗、土地占用分别减少6%、6%、5%、7%,如果青贮玉米自给率提升到100%,则相应减少16%、16%、11%、14%.IPBS在降低青贮玉米种植的化肥施用、解决养殖场粪便污染等方面优势明显,在提升养殖经济效益、降低温室气体排放等方面具有巨大潜力,值得推广.