Effect of agricultural extension on cotton farmer's efficiency in arid and semi-arid areas of Burkina Faso

This study shows that farmers in arid and semi-arid land can improve their efficiency if they have access to agricultural extension services. An exhaustive survey was used to obtain data from 423 cotton producers in the arid zones and 144 of wetlands in Burkina Faso. The method of the directional distance function modeling a multi-output technology was used. The results show that cotton farmers in the arid zones are not technically more inefficient than those in wetlands. On average, arid zone producers have a technical inefficiency of 0.056 while that of wetland producers is around 0.052. The agricultural extension, defined as receiving visits and advice from technical agents, is important for producers because it helps farmers choose soil and water conservation techniques and fertilizers adapted to the Agro-climatic conditions of their respective zones. Agriculture extension also helps farmers of the arid zones to reduce their technical inefficiency by advising them to cultivate small agricultural plots. On average, in these zones, the size of an agricultural plot is around 1.03 ha compared to those of wetlands which is about 1.6 ha.     

环境影响评价在矿区生态重建中的应用

根据我国矿业生产现状,提出了矿区环境影响评价的概念,给出了适合矿区环境评价的方法,并指出矿区环境影响评价在我国矿区生态重建的重要作用.     

The environmental impacts of regional disparity in population and wealth distribution in Nigeria

The disparity in both population and wealth distribution in Nigeria by geo-political zones is well recognized. There is also the recognition that some of the environmental problems in certain sections of the country can be attributed to the imbalance in both population and wealth distribution. Hence the various agitations for environmental resource control in the country. What is lacking however is the research that shows the magnitude of the linkages between the disparity and the environmental degradation in regional context. This provides the basis for this research. To achieve the aim of the research, a STIRPAT model was employed as an analytical tool. The findings show that the southern geopolitical zones are generally more densely populated and wealthier than the northern zones. The south is also experiencing a higher degree of environmental resource degradation attributable to anthropogenic factors. Thus, there is congruence between population density, wealth distribution and environmental degradation in Nigeria. Therefore the achievement of sustainable environment and development in Nigeria requires deliberate policies to mitigate the impact of population concentration and wealth creation on the environment. Readers should send their comments on this paper to: BhaskarNath@aol.com within 3 months of publication of this issue.     

Stream Discharge and Riparian Land Use Influence In-Stream Concentrations and Loads of Phosphorus from Central Plains Watersheds

Total annual nutrient loads are a function of both watershed characteristics and the magnitude of nutrient mobilizing events. We investigated linkages among land cover, discharge and total phosphorus (TP) concentrations, and loads in 25 Kansas streams. Stream monitoring locations were selected from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment stream chemistry long-term monitoring network sites at or near U.S. Geological Survey stream gauges. We linked each sample with concurrent discharge data to improve our ability to estimate TP concentrations and loads across the full range of possible flow conditions. Median TP concentration was strongly linked (R ² = 76%) to the presence of cropland in the riparian zones of the mostly perennial streams. At baseflow, discharge data did not improve prediction of TP, but at high flows discharge was strongly linked to concentration (a threshold response occurred). Our data suggest that on average 88% of the total load occurred during the 10% of the time with the greatest discharge. Modeled reductions in peak discharges, representing increased hydrologic retention, predicted greater decreases in total annual loads than reductions of ambient concentrations because high discharge and elevated phosphorus concentrations had multiplicative effects. No measure of land use provided significant predictive power for concentrations when discharge was elevated or for concentration rise rates under increasing discharge. These results suggest that reductions of baseflow concentrations of TP in streams without wastewater dischargers may be managed by reductions of cropland uses in the riparian corridor. Additional measures may be needed to manage TP annual loads, due to the large percentage of the TP load occurring during a few high-flow events each year.     

中国不同发展阶段地区环境可持续性状态与趋势研究

中国不同地区发展水平存在较大的差异．面临的环境问题和可持续发展的优先领域也不同。因此．可持续发展评价与政策制定需要与区域发晨实际相结合。选取上海、德州和固原三个地区作为中国发达、发展中和欠发达地区的代表．选择可操作和可比性强的指标．基子压力-状态-响应模型．构建了环境可持续性趋势系数．对比不同发展水平地区环境发展的状态、趋势和存在的主要问题。得出以下结论：近20年来．虽然中国总体环境保护能力有了一定的提高．但污染物排放压力持续增长．环境质量普遍恶化的趋势没有得到根本改变;上海、德州和固原环境可持续性趋势系数分别为0．82、0．55和0．45．发达地区环境可持续性最强．发展中地区一般．欠发达地区量差;目前我国环境政策领域往往注重经济发展的“两极”：高度发达地区和欠发达地区,本文的研究结果表明。面积占全国67％、人口占全国40％的发展中地区环境问题最为突出。     

渗滤液中有机物在不同氧化还原带中的降解机理与效率研究

通过土柱模拟实验研究了垃圾渗滤液中的有机污染物在地下环境中的降解机理和效率.结果表明,铁还原带对有机污染物的降解起重要作用,平均降解效率达86.24％,其次是氧还原带、硝酸盐还原带、硫酸盐还原带和产甲烷带,分别平均达到75.93％、79.81％、74.02％和65.09％;厌氧还原环境可能对苯并噻唑、安替吡啉、茚等物质的降解起重要作用;萘、环己酮、部分环烷烃等不易被微生物降解;不同污染物在不同氧化还原带中的最大降解效率也不同,如1,1,1-三氯乙烷和邻二甲苯在硫酸盐还原带中的降解效率最高,分别为80％和71.43％;三氯乙烯和MTBE则在硝酸盐还原带中的降解效率最高,分别为81.25％和92.58％;而苯在硫酸盐还原带和铁还原带中均被全部降解.     

广州市不同人群硒摄入量研究

通过酸消解、原子荧光-氢化物发生法测定了广州市市售109种常见食物中硒的含量,结合膳食结构计算了广州市不同人群的每日硒摄入量.结果表明,广州市不同食品硒含量有较大差异,均值为4.97～457.3 μg·kg-1,其中动物性食品硒含量明显高于植物性食品硒含量,硒含量较高的食品有动物内脏、鱼虾类、蛋及蛋制品、猪肉等,均大于150 μg·kg-1.广州市不同人群膳食硒摄入量有明显差别,不同收入人群的摄入量为高收入人群(102.6 μg·d-1)＞中收入人群(83.8 μg·d-1)＞低收入人群(66.6 μg·d-1);老人硒摄入量为73.3 μg·d-1,儿童为44.3 μg·d-1,大学生为86.8 μg·d-1,工人为69.7 μg·d-1;标准人摄入量为98.5 μg·d-1.动物性食品是广州居民硒摄入量的主要来源;其次是大米;蔬菜、水果和豆类及制品等植物性食品贡献很小.广州市不同人群每日硒摄入量处于良好水平.     

Characteristics of worker accidents on NYSDOT construction projects

INTRODUCTION: This paper aims at providing cost-effective safety measures to protect construction workers in highway work zones, based on real data. Two types of accidents that occur in work zones were: (a) construction work area accidents, and (b) traffic accidents involving construction worker(s). METHODOLOGY/RESULTS: A detailed analysis of work zone accidents involving 36 fatalities and 3,055 severe injuries to construction workers on New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) construction projects from 1990 to 2001 established that five accident types: (a) Struck/Pinned by Large Equipment, (b) Trip or Fall (elevated), (c) Contact w/Electrical or Gas Utility, (d) Struck-by Moving/Falling Load, and (e) Crane/Lift Device Failure accounted for nearly 96% of the fatal accidents, nearly 63% of the hospital-level injury accidents, and nearly 91% of the total costs. These construction work area accidents had a total cost of $133.8 million. Traffic accidents that involve contractors' employees were also examined. Statistical analyses of the traffic accidents established that five traffic accident types: (a) Work Space Intrusion, (b) Worker Struck-by Vehicle Inside Work Space, (c) Flagger Struck-by Vehicle, (d) Worker Struck-by Vehicle Entering/Exiting Work Space, and (e) Construction Equipment Struck-by Vehicle Inside Work Space accounted for nearly 86% of the fatal, nearly 70% of the hospital-level injury and minor injury traffic accidents, and $45.4 million (79.4%) of the total traffic accident costs. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this paper provide real statistics on construction worker related accidents reported on construction work zones. Potential preventions based on real statistics have also been suggested. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: The ranking of accident types, both within the work area as well as in traffic, will guide the heavy highway contractor and owner agencies in identifying the most cost effective safety preventions.     

浅谈应急心理干预对事故影响的作用

随着大工业的发展，其所带来的重大事故或自然灾害导致的事故后果常常可以和战争相提并论，其后果影响给与人们带来的心理恐慌和应急时产生的心理危机已经影响人们的正常生活，并逐渐被人们重视。因此心理危机干预已经逐渐成为抢险救灾的一个当然的组成部分，心理干预技术已经是成熟的，在国际上已经普遍被采用。当突发事故发生或当遇到突发事件伤害时，克服紧张情绪，沉着冷静并学会如何与人沟通，解决各种应急事件导致的心理障碍是非常重要的任务。     

ECONOMIC VALUATION OF RIPARIAN BUFFER AND OPEN SPACE IN A SUBURBAN WATERSHED1

Abstract: This study evaluates the economic value of riparian buffers and open space in a suburban watershed through two nonmarket valuation methods. A contingent valuation survey was implemented in the Dardenne Creek watershed, a suburban watershed of the St. Louis metropolitan area in Missouri, to evaluate the residents' perceptions of and willingness to pay (WTP) for adopting riparian buffers and preserving farmland in a hypothetical real estate market. A hedonic pricing model based on actual sale prices of homes in the watershed was applied to estimate the market value of open space and other environmental conditions such as flood zone and stream proximity in the study area. The results showed that residents' WTP was consistent with the economic values of open space and proximity to streams embedded in existing home prices. Through a better understanding of residents' perceptions and values, riparian buffer and open space programs can be designed and promoted to achieve greater implementation success and environmental benefit.