Assessment of Environmental Water Demands (EWD) of Forests for Two Distinct Indian Ecosystems

Sustainable use of water and land resources requires that these scarce resources be appropriately allocated among various competing human activities. Worldwide, there is a realization now that sustainable river basin management should be accorded the highest priority, because it deals not only with technical, but also with ecological and socioeconomic aspects, and thus calls for a multidisciplinary and integrated approach. However, most of the policy and planning documents have either remained silent, or have made only implicit reference to the importance of environmental water demand (EWD) and its quantification. Therefore, in the light of its importance, a methodology has been evolved in this article for quantifying EWD for various forested areas in two distinctly different Indian river basins: Brahmani (humid zone) and Sabarmati (dry zone). The article analyzes and discusses EWD estimates at three different spatial levels: river basins, states, and districts within them, and finally presents a comparative analysis of all these results. Findings of the present study will be immensely useful in understanding various ecological issues connected with water resource projects and proposals in these river basins.     

Definition of Homogeneous Environmental Management Units for the Catalan Coast

Geographical areas constitute the basic implementation locus for integrated coastal zone management strategies and activities. Because the definition of territorial planning objectives may be affected by socioeconomic and environmental characteristics, one of the main steps in the process involves dividing the coast into homogeneous environmental management units (HEMUs). This article presents a general and simple method for regionalizing the landside of a coastal zone into HEMUs and illustrates it through application to the Catalan coast. Socioeconomic and natural (biophysical) subsystems were selected as the most appropriate dimensions of the regionalization process. Dimensions were described using 11 spatial themes, which were managed in a geographic information system environment that proved to be an adequate tool for the purpose. A final coastal zone map of four classes of HEMUs connected to local administrative units was obtained, and because it reflects the current natural and socioeconomic dynamics, it can be considered as an initial step in the planning process for the Catalan coast. Although the proposed method was developed based on the characteristics of the Catalan coast, it is general enough to be adapted and applied to most developed or developing coastal areas.     

Communicative Aspects of Environmental Management by Objectives: Examples from the Swedish Context

Management by objectives (MBO) is a technique for integrating ecological concerns into national political and administrative structures. Politicians determine environmental objectives and interim targets to be implemented and assessed by civil servants in national, regional, and local contexts. Well-developed organizational communication is a prerequisite for MBO. However, communication-related obstacles can arise when using MBO in public environmental management. We examine communicative aspects of environmental MBO, looking specifically at the implementation, administration, and assessment of Swedish environmental quality objectives. Our argument is illustrated by quotations from individual and focus group interviews. We conclude that communicative problems may arise, because different actors interpret messages from different perspectives, depending on their agendas, prior knowledge and experience, and positions in the administrative system. It is crucial to recognize the dialogical aspects of communication, by involving the receiver of a message in a process of response. In addition, the different timeframes underlying different arguments could contribute to misunderstandings between actors involved in handling environmental issues. In assessing the achievement of environmental objectives, indicators are used as communicative tools. It is important to investigate whether and how these indicators contribute to the de- and recontextualization of environmental objectives.     

河口近岸水体中颗粒态重金属的潮周期变化

对长江口崇明东滩近岸水体中颗粒态重金属的潮周期变化特征及其影响机制进行了研究.结果表明,受粒度影响,底层水体中颗粒态Cu、Pb、Fe、Mn、Zn、Cr、Al的总量分别高出表层沉积物的184%、99%、56%、62%、147%、50%和45%,其中Cu、Pb、Fe、Mn、Zn、Al可还原态部分在底层水体悬浮颗粒物中的含量也明显高出表层沉积物的2～3倍,但与重金属总量相比,上述元素的可还原态部分所占比例与表层沉积物相差不大.在5次潮汐循环过程中,颗粒态重金属均在涨潮初期、高平潮前后及落潮末期出现较高含量.这种变化主要与水动力条件有关,当水体流速增大时,从底部沉积物再悬浮起来的颗粒态重金属对水体中的永久性悬浮颗粒起了很大的稀释效应.水体中的盐度、DO及pH等环境因子对潮周期内颗粒态重金属的变化影响不大.     

清洁生产与企业结构调整

清洁生产是工业生产追求的最高境界,而结构调整阶段给企业提供了一个很好的实施清洁生产的契机,使企业可以借助结构调整机会,将清洁生产渗透至企业的所有方面,最大限度地取得清洁生产的效果。     

我国电子废弃物的管理及发展道路研究

我国电子废弃物的处理处置正向产业化方向稳步推进。本文概括了电子废弃物的特点,以及我国目前处理电子废弃物的现状。遵照循环经济理念,并基于我国国情,提出了我国在电子废弃物处理处置过程中应遵循的主要原则和今后的发展方向。     

厌氧-好氧生物滤池处理城市污水试验

研究了生物滤池处理城市污水的性能特点,结果表明:厌氧-好氧生物滤池去除城市污水中的CODCr、SS和NH4+-N等具有较好的效果,当进水CODCr、SS和NH4+-N分别为23、112mg/L和56mg/L时,水力停留时间8h,曝气强度在0·5~0·6L/(m2·s)时,CODCr、SS和NH4+-N的去除率分别在90%、80%和75%以上。     

The influence of metal source uncertainty on cost-effective allocation of mine water pollution abatement in catchments

In mine water pollution abatement, it is commonly assumed that known mine waste sites are the major pollution sources, thus neglecting the possibility of significant contribution from other old and diffuse sources within a catchment. We investigate the influence of different types of pollution source uncertainty on cost-effective allocation of abatement measures for mine water pollution. A catchment-scale cost-minimization model is developed and applied to the catchment of the river Dalälven, Sweden, in order to exemplify important effects of such source uncertainty. Results indicate that, if the pollution distribution between point and diffuse sources is partly unknown, downstream abatement measures, such as constructed wetlands, at given compliance boundaries are often cost-effective. If downstream abatement measures are not practically feasible, the pollution source distribution between point and diffuse mine water sources is critical for cost-effective solutions to abatement measure allocation in catchments. In contrast, cost-effective solutions are relatively insensitive to uncertainty in total pollutant discharge from mine water sources.     

Field reconnaissance and estimation of petroleum hydrocarbon and heavy metal contents of soils affected by the Ebocha-8 oil spillage in Niger Delta, Nigeria

Field reconnaissance of the Ebocha-8 oil spill-affected site at Obiobi/Obrikom in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria was carried out to assess the extent of damage to the terrestrial ecosystem and delimit the epicenter of oil spillage. Following three successive reconnaissance surveys, the area to be sampled was delimited (200 x 200 m2), and soil samples were collected using the grid method from three replicate quadrats at two depths, surface (0-15 cm) and subsurface (15-30 cm). A geographically similar area located 50 m adjacent to the oil-polluted area was used as a reference (control) site. Total hydrocarbon content (THC) and heavy metal concentrations were later determined in the laboratory by extraction and spetrophotemetric techniques. Generally, the THC of soils at surface and subsurface depths of the oil-polluted plots was 2.06 x 10(4) +/- 4.97 x 10(3) mg/kg and 1.67 x 10(3) +/- 3.61 x 10(2) mg/kg soil, respectively, (no overlap in standard errors at 95% confidence limit) while concentrations of heavy metals(Pb, Cd, V, Cu and Ni) were enhanced, especially at the surface. The high levels of THC and heavy metals may predispose the site, which hitherto served as arable agricultural land, to impaired fertility and possible conflagration. When concentrations of heavy metals reach the levels obtained in this study, they may become toxic to plants or possibly bio-accumulate, thus leading to toxic reactions along the food chain. While the spilled-oil may have contributed to the enhanced levels of the metals in the affected soils, physico-chemical properties of the soils, mobility of metals, and the intense rainfall and flooding that preceded the period of study may have also contributed in part to their enhanced concentrations. The presence of high hydrocarbon content may cause oxygen deprivation, which may result in the death of soil fauna by asphyxiation. There is, therefore, an urgent need to clear the affected site of these excess hydrocarbon deposits so as to enhance the rehabilitation process of the affected mat layer of soils. Other appropriate mitigating measures, such as subsequent monitoring of hydrocarbon levels at suitable intervals after the clean up activities, are also recommended, with reference to the findings of this study, for effective management of the affected area.     

大型海藻与赤潮微藻以及赤潮微藻之间的相互作用研究

研究了2种大型海藻石莼(Ulva pertusa)和江蓠(Gracilaria lemaneiformis)对2种赤潮微藻:东海原甲藻(Prorocentrumdonghaiense)和塔玛亚历山大藻(Alexandum tamarense)生长的影响以及2种微藻之间的相互作用,结果发现:①在大藻(石莼或江蓠)-微藻(东海原甲藻或塔玛亚历山大藻)的共培养体系中,石莼和江蓠均能明显影响与其共培养的微藻的生长,石莼对微藻生长的影响强于江蓠的作用.②在东海原甲藻-塔玛亚历山大藻的双藻培养体系中,东海原甲藻的生长受到明显的抑制作用,最终被完全灭杀;体系中塔玛亚历山大藻的生长未受到明显的影响.另外,塔玛亚历山大藻的培养液滤液能明显抑制东海原甲藻的生长,但东海原甲藻滤液对塔玛亚历山大藻的生长几乎没有影响.实验室条件下模拟二者相互作用的结果显示,塔玛亚历山大藻对东海原甲藻的抑制作用是其被后者抑制作用的17倍左右.③在大藻(石莼或江蓠)-东海原甲藻-塔玛亚历山大藻的多藻培养体系中,东海原甲藻和塔玛亚历山大藻的生长变化与它们在共培养体系中的变化非常类似.半数致死时间(LT50)法的检测结果显示:多藻培养体系对东海原甲藻的联合作用是协同作用,而对塔玛亚历山大藻的作用是相加作用.