Understanding local community attitudes toward industrial development in the Great Barrier Reef region World Heritage Area: are environmental impacts perceived to overshadow economic benefits?

Conflicts between industrial development and environmental conservation can be particularly acute when such development occurs in the vicinity of World Heritage sites. A key example is the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area (GBRWHA) in northeastern Australia, where a 2012 review by the World Heritage Council found that rapid port development inshore of the coral reef posed significant risks to local marine ecosystems. Such instances pose pressing challenges for decision‐makers seeking to manage World Heritage sites for multiple values and needs, including those of key stakeholder groups, such as local communities. There is increasingly a societal expectation that public decision‐making takes into account local views and priorities, and that companies seek a ‘social license to operate’. This research explored local community attitudes toward port development associated with the export of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and coal through the GBRWHA. Using data drawn from a survey and interviews, the research examined how a range of geographical factors, including proximity to gas infrastructure and the perceived impacts and risks of development to the local community, economy and environment shape community perceptions of the industry. Findings suggest that local attitudes toward gas and coal terminal development inshore of the GBRWHA are shaped predominantly by community perceptions of environmental impacts and risks associated with such infrastructure, in contrast to a broader public narrative that focuses largely on economic benefits. A complex combination of other factors, including social impacts, personal environmental values, community trust in industry, and equity in decision‐making and distribution of the risks and benefits of industrial development also contribute. Placed in a broader, global context, the findings have important implications for public decision‐making processes in Australia and elsewhere as they suggest that, for local communities, the perceived impacts of gas development on the environment may overshadow the benefits of industry.     

Effects of long-term chlorpyrifos exposure on mortality and reproductive tissues of Banded Gourami (Trichogaster fasciata)

Abstract

This study assessed the long-term toxicity of chlorpyrifos on survival and reproduction of Banded Gourami by using mortality, gonado-somatic index (GSI) and histopathological observations as endpoints. Adult fish were exposed to five different concentrations of chlorpyrifos (0, 15, 50, 150, 500?µg/L) in 15 PVC tanks for 15, 30, 45, 60 and 75?days. Results showed that all male and female fish died after 15?days of 500?µg/L chlorpyrifos exposure. No consistent significant effect was observed for both male and female GSI. Furthermore, results showed dose- and time-dependent histopathological alterations for both ovary and testes. The 60-d No Observed Effect Concentration (NOEC) for most histopathological alterations of Banded Gourami ovary and testes was 50?μg/L, while 60-d NOEC for mortality of both male and female fish was < 15?μg/L. The results show that the long-term exposure to chlorpyrifos not only affect the reproductive tissues of Banded Gourami at exposure concentrations but also cause their mortality. Future studies should evaluate effects at lower concentrations.     

两种AHLs信号分子对生物膜法养殖污水处理条件下水体内环境的影响

为提高生物膜法处理养殖污水的效果,对不同信号分子条件下的生物膜处理情况进行研究。在室内循环水养殖系统中,设定3个实验组和1个对照组,分别添加乙醇、C6-HSL、N-3-oxo-C8-HSL和蒸馏水,并在模拟过程中取样分析。实验结果表明,3个实验组附着基上的生物量明显多于对照组,尤其是添加N-3-oxo-C8-HSL组产生的生物量约为对照组的6倍;经添加C6-HSL和N-3-oxo-C8-HSL处理的养殖水体中,亚硝酸盐最终浓度比对照组低28.6%,但无机磷浓度稍高。数据因子分析结果表明,实验过程中(9～27 d),添加AHLs信号因子C6-HSL和N-3-oxo-C8-HSL两组养殖水体内环境的总体得分较高,说明养殖水体的内环境处于较好状态。     

气动锤头式冲击响应谱模拟方法研究

分析了目前常用的机械撞击式响应谱试验机的特点和存在的一些问题,设计了一种以压缩空气作为锤头动力的新型气动式冲击响应谱试验机,给出了锤头速度计算公式和响应谱最大值的估算方法,为大型产品的冲击响应谱试验提供了一种手段。     

充分利用环保倒逼机制促进产业结构调整升级

淄博市污染聚集,环境质量易受外来因素影响,产业结构不合理,污染物排放量大,排放强度高。但其充分发挥环保的倒逼作用,通过建立健全环保政策法规体系,严格执行高于省及国家标准的地方环保标准,大力发展高新技术和现代服务业,加快改造传统产业,极大地促进了产业结构升级和经济发展方式的转变。     

A Socio-Ecological Investigation of Options to Manage Groundwater Degradation in the Western Desert, Egypt

Under increasing water scarcity, collective groundwater management is a global concern. This article presents an interdisciplinary analysis of this challenge drawing on a survey including 50 large and small farms and gardens in a village in an agricultural land reclamation area on the edge of the Western Desert of Egypt. Findings revealed that smallholders rely on a practice of shallow groundwater use, through which drainage water from adjacent irrigation areas is effectively recycled within the surface aquifer. Expanding agroindustrial activities in the surrounding area are socio-economically important, but by mining non-renewable water in the surrounding area, they set in motion a degradation process with social and ecological consequences for all users in the multi-layered aquifer system. Based on the findings of our investigation, we identify opportunities for local authorities to more systematically connect available environmental information sources and common pool resource management precedents, to counterbalance the degradation threat.     

Modeling urban films using a dynamic multimedia fugacity model

A thin film coats impervious urban surfaces that can act as a source or sink of organic pollutants to the greater environment. We review recent developments in the understanding of film and film-associated pollutant behavior and incorporate them into an unsteady-state version of the fugacity based Multimedia Urban Model (MUM), focusing on detailed considerations of surface film dynamics. The model is used to explore the conditions under which these atmospherically-derived films act as a temporary source of chemicals to the air and/or storm water. Assuming film growth of 2.1 nm d⁻¹ (Wu et al., 2008a), PCB congeners 28 and 180 reach air-film equilibrium within hours and days, respectively. The model results suggest that the film acts as a temporary sink of chemicals from air during dry and cool weather, as a source to air in warmer weather, and as a source to storm water and soil during rain events. Using the downtown area of the City of Toronto Canada, as a case study, the model estimates that nearly 1 g d⁻¹ of ∑₅PCBs are transferred from air to film to storm water.     

Desorption of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from field-contaminated soil to a two-dimensional hydrophobic surface before and after bioremediation

This study investigated environmental distributions and production mechanisms of chlorinated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (Cl-PAHs) in the sediments from some tidal flats located in Asia. Cl-PAHs were found in sediments taken from Arao tidal flat, Kikuchigawa River and Shirakawa River. The range of ∑Cl-PAHs was from 25.5 to 483 pg g⁻¹ for Kikuchigawa River and Arao tidal flat, respectively.Concentrations of PAHs and Cl-PAHs showed no significant correlations (r = 0.134). This result suggests that the origins of these compounds differ. In the identified Cl-PAH isomers, the most abundant Cl-PAH isomer was 9,10-dichloroanthracene (9,10-di-Cl-ANT) in the three sites. In general, concentrations of Cl-ANTs in the coastal environment are about 3-5 orders of magnitude lower than those of anthracene (ANT). However, concentration ratios between Cl-ANTs and ANT (Cl-ANTs/ANT) in the sediments ranged from 4.1% to 24.6%. This result indicated that Cl-PAHs were not generated under industrial processes but the high concentration ratios have resulted from the contribution of photochemical production of Cl-ANTs in the sediments because ANT is known to have high photochemical reactivity.For examining this phenomenon, ANT adsorbed onto glass beads was irradiated with UV under the mimicked field conditions of tidal flats. As a result, it was noticed that, while chlorinated derivatives were negligible in a light-controlled group, production of 2-Cl-ANT, 9-Cl-ANT and 9,10-diCl-ANT on the irradiated surface were found in this study. These results suggest that photochemical reaction of PAHs can be a potential source of the occurrence of Cl-PAHs in the coastal environment.     

螺、蚌对污水处理厂再生水环境的改善稳定作用

通过选用昆明市第五污水处理厂的一级A标出水和水处理厂外排污泥作为静态实验环境,研究不同混养密度下铜锈环棱螺、椭圆背角无齿蚌对污水处理厂再生水环境的净化性能,筛选出净化效果较好的放养密度。结果表明:放养30 d,铜锈环棱螺、椭圆背角无齿蚌对污水处理厂再生水环境的水质、底质均有一定的净化作用,扣减空白对照影响,水中COD、TP、NH3-N及底泥有机质平均去除率分别为22.26%、26.10%、25.60%和25.69%,底泥厚度平均减少3.8 cm;与对照相比,放养螺蚌45 d内水均能清澈见底,透明度均>70 cm,能明显稳定水体透明度,改善水环境。综合螺蚌生长适应性和净化效果考虑:污水处理厂再生水静态环境中,螺蚌混养密度应≤3 000 g/m3,在2 000～2 500 g/m3为宜,其中铜锈环棱螺的最适放养密度在400 g/m3,椭圆背角无齿蚌为1 600～2 100 g/m3。